St Andrews choir bows out with donations to three community groups

The Swilcan Singers, a well known St Andrews ladies choir, met recently in Rufflets Hotel for the formal winding up - a happy but also poignant event.

Three local charities each received donations of £1,020 as it called time after 15 years; CHAS (Rachel House); Families First, St Andrews; Operation Heart Start, St Andrews.

The choir, formed from members of the Haydays Choir at the Byre Theatre in 2008, was originally conducted by St Andrean Janice Stewart, a well-known local primary teacher. Through its performances, it donated to various charities, most substantially to Motor Neuron Disease.

In January 2019 choir member and former music teacher Joyce McIver took over as conductor having previously led it on occasions when Janice was unavailable. Donations to charities continued including Rymonth House, St Andrews and Chest Heart and Stroke, Scotland, in May 2022, after a very successful sell-out concert held in St Andrews Bowling Club. which proved to be choir's final performance. Due to health issues, Joyce had to retire and sadly soon after that the choir disbanded.

The group enjoyed a friendly, happy coffee morning at Rufflets and hopes to continue having an occasional get-together to maintain the many long established friendships within the Swilcan Singers.