THE Eddleston Voices and Junior Choir never failed to please during their recent Summer Concert, writes Pamela Strachan.

Guest solo pianist, Graham McDonald delighted a packed Eddleston Parish Church with a dazzling display of keyboard skills last Friday evening. 

Musical Director, Lorraine Mulholland arranged a night of sparkling entertainment for the ninth annual ‘Music for a Summer Evening’ with well-chosen pieces for the Junior Choir and the Eddleston Voices raising over £600 for church funds. 

Her Junior Choir (aged between five to 12-years-old) launched the programme and charmed everyone with their competent rendition of Sheila Wilson’s ‘Crikey Moses’. 

There was just enough fidgeting and eye-wandering to remind us all that these really are very young performers to have memorized 20 minutes of music. 

It is a remarkable achievement. 

Little bowed heads for “no-one hears his cry” was particularly effective.
The Eddleston Voices never fail to please.

Their obvious shared enjoyment in making music is hugely infectious and the audience did not need much encouragement to join in with the compelling rhythms and syncopation.

There were familiar tunes from ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Toy Story’ followed by a more demanding piece with David Bowie’s ‘Life on Mars’ but the Voices rose to the challenge.

The programme was punctuated with Graham McDonald’s flamboyant performance on the Steinway: from his own composition (as a 16-year-old for his music Higher) with nods to Rachmaninoff and Liszt, Chopin and Brahms.

There were familiar pieces to recognize and improvisation to amaze. 

The pupils at Beeslack High School in Penicuik are lucky to have Graham as their music teacher, was the conclusion from the audience as they enjoyed a glass of wine and refreshments at the end of the concert.

Perhaps the most moving piece was the unaccompanied “Amazing Grace” – a number apparently performed an estimated 10 million times a year world wide. 

The choirs with their very competent accompanist, Clare Dempster and dedicated musical director are all to be congratulated for tackling such a varied and challenging programme which included a medley from Lennon & McCartney, Irving Berlin’s Puttin’ On The Ritz, and George Shearing’s Lullaby of Birdland. 

The haunting South African song, Think of Me by the combined choirs concluded the programme, leaving the audience to wonder what might be in store for their 10th annual Summer Evening next year. 

It will be difficult to better their 2017 concert.