Saturday 20th July, 11am – noon: Cappuccino Concert:-
Songs and Springs from Scotland and Scandinavia with sisters Sally Garden & Alison Hart.
We at Friends of Wighton are delighted to welcome back our first Historical Musician in Residence, Sally Garden, with sister Alison Hart, for what promises to be a beautiful morning of song.
Sally and Alison hail from an Angus farming family and are just two of a flock of four sibling musicians, all with professional careers. How this happened is another story! But – Alison trained at RSAMD (Conservatoire), studying piano with Lawrence Glover, and began herteaching career with the challenge of schooling her younger sister Sally to play her scales, ‘properly!’. Surviving this musical trauma, she went on to teach music in Angus Primary Schools, develop her own teaching practice, and guide many a successful student through their Associated Board exams.
Alison’s performing career began even earlier, at the age of 14, playing (and pedalling!) the kirk harmonium to accompany the hymns. This began her organist career (same keyboard, different pedals). But most of all, Alison is known for her calm, unflappable accompanying skills at the piano. She has supported several choirs and countless singers and instrumentalists in show and concert over many years, and given 30 years service as an official accompanist for the Arbroath Competitive Festival, playing for multiple classes every day of the 5-day event.
Sally, who eventually mastered her scales ‘properly’, went on to study music at Aberdeen University, studying singing first at the North East of Scotland Music School, then with bel canto specialist Laura Sarti, in London. Her fiddle never far from her side, she played in orchestras in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, enjoying the camaraderie and occasional fee!
Gaining her doctorate at Edinburgh University, she added another proverbial string to her bow – musicology. This took her to Glasgow University for a spell, following which she was privileged to work as Historical Musician in Residence at the Wighton Heritage Centre, Dundee. Most of all, Sally is known for her recital work and special interest in Scots and Scandinavian art song, and in 2019 was invited to give the annual Nina Grieg Day recital at Troldhaugen, Bergen. She is founder of the Grieg Society of Scotland, part of a network of Grieg Societies across the globe, and is also vice-chair of the Norwegian Scottish Association, Edinburgh.
Admission £5, Tea/coffee available for donation
