The Glasgow Phoenix Choir is set to return to Bute, where it has consistently attracted some of the largest audiences in recent Bute Arts Society seasons.
The continued success of choral concerts has led the club to establish an annual choral celebration, jointly hosted with the island’s own Ballianlay Choir. The two choirs have developed a strong relationship in recent years, with Ballianlay having travelled to Glasgow on two occasions to perform alongside the Phoenix at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall’s RSNO Auditorium.
Choral events on Bute continue to grow in popularity, and future plans are already in place. The society has confirmed that A Choired Taste, a mixed voice choir from Kilmarnock, will visit the island in May 2027, followed by Glasgow’s The Close Shave barbershop choir in May 2028. The latter is conducted by Sarah Shorter, who is well known to Bute audiences through her appearances in Chamber Musicians Scotland’s Celebrating concert series.
The Glasgow Phoenix Choir itself has a long and distinguished history, having emerged from the world-famous Glasgow Orpheus Choir. Its first recorded visit to Bute dates back to 1954. Today, the choir still boasts around 100 singers and is directed by Cameron Murdoch, an honours graduate in music from the University of Glasgow who also studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Having joined the choir in 1987 as accompanist and depute-conductor, he now leads the ensemble and has arranged many of the works in its current repertoire.
Audiences can once again expect a varied programme, combining choral classics with well-known Scots songs. A special highlight of this visit will be a performance of the Little Jazz Mass by contemporary composer Bob Chilcott, fresh from the choir’s April concert at the Royal Concert Hall. Lasting around 12 minutes, the piece features the traditional sections of the mass and is distinctive in its use of a jazz trio accompaniment.
For this performance, the choir will be joined by the Mathew McIlree Trio, who previously received acclaim at Bute Arts Society’s September 2025 Jazz Weekend. Mathew McIlree will also return to the island for three evenings of jazz piano at the Glenburn Hotel bar as part of the upcoming jazz weekend, before departing for Europe to take up a new role as a research scientist.
The concert will conclude with a selection of well-known choral favourites, culminating in a performance of Down by the Riverside, with both choirs and the audience joining together—an especially fitting finale for Rothesay and the wider island.
Bute Arts Society has also highlighted the strong support received from audiences over the past year, with large attendances at both the 2025/26 Summer Galas and Winter Season concerts. Free entry for children has been made possible thanks to support from the D’Oyly Carte Trust and For Bute.
The society is now looking ahead to its newly announced 2026/27 season, which will feature 22 performances, and is encouraging both residents and visitors to come along and enjoy the programme.
