- A Summer Garland
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Date Posted: Thu, 30 Apr 2026
A SUMMER GARLAND
Our Summer concert : The choir is working hard towards this concert which showcases a programme of delightful Folk song arrangements. We are accompanied by Amici Del Coro who will also play instrumental items by Rutter In addition The Roxburgh Society of Recorder Players will play three items. arranged by Brian Bonsor whose anniversary of his birth in 1926 we are celebrating. The full programme is given below.
Tickets price £15 are now available online at abbeyconsort.org.uk, from choir members and will be available at the door (card or cash).
After the concert, suitable refreshments for a summer evening will be provided in the form of strawberries and pimms.PROGRAMMEJOHN RUTTER
The Sprig of Thyme
The bold grenadier; The willow ; The sprig of thyme
GUSTAV HOLST
I sowed the seeds of love
JOHN RUTTER
Down by the sally gardens; The cuckoo; The keel row
I have a bonnet trimmed with blue (String ensemble)
GUSTAV HOLST
I love my love
RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
The turtle dove
JOHN RUTTER
O waly, wally (String ensemble)
INTERVALJOHN RUTTER
I know where I'm going; Willow song; O can ye sew cushions; The miller of Dee;
Dashing away with the smoothing iron (String ensemble)
BRIAN BONSOR
Hebridean Suite (Roxburgh Society of Recorder Players - directed by Mary Bonsor)
Lewis bridal song;Morag's cradle song; Ho-ro my wee girl
There was a lad - A cycle of six traditional Scottish songs
There was a lad; Ye banks and braes; Ca' the yowes; Duncan Gray; Ae fond kiss; A man's a man
JOHN RUTTER
Afton water
- MESSIAH
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Date Posted: Sat, 28 Mar 2026
The image shows the choir and orchestra hard at work rehearsing for the performance of Handel's
MESSIAH which takes place in MELROSE PARISH CHURCH in a weeks time on EASTER SUNDAY
5TH APRIL AT 3.00PM. Abbey Consort and the Eildon Singers together with the instrumental ensemble
Amici del Coro and our internationally acclaimed soloists under the direction of James Letham make a glorious sound. This is a concert not to be missed. All profits will go to MY NAME'5 DODDIE FOUNDATION. This is a chance not only to hear wonderful music but to give to a very worthwhile charity.
The Hallelujah Chorus may even be heard at the Greenyards!
- Messiah
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Date Posted: Tue, 3 Mar 2026
Latest press release concerning forthcoming Messiah performance.
Local Choirs unite for Charity Performance of Handel's Messiah
in aid of the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation.
Easter Sunday, 5th April, 3.00pm - Melrose Parish Church.
Two leading local choirs, Abbey Consort and Eildon Singers are joined by
instrumental ensemble Amici Del Coro, led by Cath Cormie, all under the direction
of James Letham. Internationally acclaimed soprano Mhairi Lawson heads a
distinguished team of soloists - Caitlin Mackenzie, Euan McDonald and Julian Tovey.
Handel's Messiah has been associated with charitable giving since its very beginnings.
Composed in an astonishing 24 days, the work was first performed in 1742 at a benefit
concert suporting people in debtors' prisons and hospitals. Handel himself insisted that
future performances continue to aid charitable causes, establishing a tradition of generosity
that this Melrose event proudly continues - this time in memory of a much loved local personality
whose larger than life spirit embodied the same energy and compassion.
Tickets - £15 are available from choir members, Holmes of Melrose, at the door or online
abbeyconsort.org.uk
- Concert Updates
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Date Posted: Tue, 17 Feb 2026
"Messiah" update. Our soloists will be Internationally renowned soprano Mhairi Lawson who is joined by Caitlin Mackenzie, Euan McDonald and Julian Tovey.
June Concert our Summer Concert is entitled "A SUMMER GARLAND" with a programme of elegantly arranged folk song by Holst, Vaughan Williams, John Rutter and Brian Bonsor.
It will take place on Saturday 6th June 2026 at 7.00pm in Holy Trinity Episcopal Church ,Melrose.
Full details will follow in due course.
- Messiah
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Date Posted: Tue, 10 Feb 2026
ABBEY CONSORT with the EILDON SINGERS present HANDEL'S MESSIAH in Melrose Parish Church on Easter Sunday 5th April at 3.00pm.
This performance is in aid of MY NAME'5 DODDIE FOUNDATION.
Tickets £15 are available from choir members, Holmes of Melrose, at the door (card or cash) and abbeyconsort.org.uk
The choir will be accompanied by instrumentalists led by Cath Cormie and will be directed by James Letham.
Further details will be posted soon.
- "Messiah"
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Date Posted: Fri, 31 Oct 2025
Following our very successful concerts in Kelso and Galashiels, The "M" Collection, the choir is about to embark on rehearsals for "Messiah". This will take place in Melrose Parish Church on Easter Sunday 2026. Abbey Consort will be joined by The Eildon Singers for this concert and the profits will go to The Doddie Weir Foundation.
- The M Collection
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Date Posted: Thu, 11 Sep 2025
LATEST DETAILS ON OUR OCTOBER CONCERTS 
Attachment: 
- "The M Collection"
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Date Posted: Fri, 25 Jul 2025
Our October Concerts now have a name...."The M Collection"
THE PROGRAMME
MONTEVERDI Toccata(L'Orfeo) Beatus Vir Adoramus te, Christe
MOSZKOWSKI From Foreign Lands-Italy
MENDELSSOHN Verleih uns Frieden String Symphony No.8- Menuetto
Christe,du Lamm Gottes
MACMILLAN O Radiant Dawn
MOZART Sancta Maria, mater Dei Ave Verum Benedictus Deus (1,2,and 3)
Baroque brilliance, Classical clarity and Romantic resonance.
- The three M's
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Date Posted: Fri, 18 Apr 2025
After two very successful Spring concerts, the choir is now moving on to rehearse for the next concert
which has the working title the three M's. Mozart,Montiverdi and Mendelssohn.
Details of dates and venues can be found on the events page.
More information in due course.
The Eildon Singers will join Abbey Consort for a performance of Messiah in April 2026 in aid of the Doddie Weir Foundation.
