A Cultural Celebration: Galloway SangStreams
The Glenkens and District Community Fund provided £8,176 in funding to support Cairn Chorus to create a community choir.
Cairn Chorus is a community performance choir based in Moniaive, Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway. Founded in 2007, the group encourages the joy of singing as an inclusive community activity.
Project
When Cairn Chorus was re-embarking on rehearsals following COVID-19, they decided to undertake an ambitious project celebrating the rich cultural heritage of Dumfries and Galloway.
The Glenkens and District Community Fund provided £8,176 in funding to support Cairn Chorus to commission, prepare and deliver ‘Galloway SangStreams’, a concert series aiming to provide a high quality cultural and social activity for local communities. This vibrant performance combined music, poetry, soundscapes, and visual imagery.
The funding allowed the project to commission new works from notable artists including folk duo Emily Smith and Jamie McClennan, harpist Wendy Stewart, musician Jo Miller and composer Kate Howard. Poet Hugh McMillan contributed original poems, while environmental artist Jo Hodges created innovative soundscapes from the DNA of native plants arranged for Viola and Cello by Liz Wyly and Andy Fairley. Music and words were further brought to life with archivist footage by Alyne Jones and Kara Millen creating a multi-layered celebration of the region's heritage.
Four concerts were held across the region, reaching a total audience of 525 people. The choir itself grew from 35-40 members to 55 performers, with several new members continuing into their Winter 2024 term. As one choir member reflected:
"I have loved taking part in Galloway Sangstreams on so many levels, the musicians, beautiful and meaningful songs, the pull of Dumfries and Galloway, past and present. It just seemed so fitting for our community choir, challenging, rewarding and undoubtedly showed pride in our corner of Scotland."
The project's reach extended beyond the performances themselves, with an audio recording featured on Hugh Taylor's Folk ‘n’ Stuff radio show on Celtic Music Radio, and the choir developed new digital resources for members.
Future plans
Looking ahead, Cairn Chorus has established a Legacy Fund from concert ticket income to secure the project's sustainability. They plan to rearrange songs and update the performance for future presentations, with some pieces already scheduled for inclusion in their Spring 2025 rewilding-themed concert.
Conclusion
The project was a seamless integration of artistic ambition with community engagement and demonstrated how targeted funding support can help community organisations deliver high-quality creative experiences in rural areas.
The choir's inclusive approach and focus on local themes resonated strongly with audiences, as one attendee noted:
"There's a power in having the beauty of our everyday lives reflected back at you. It's important we celebrate Dumfries and Galloway and this show did just that."
Click here to find out more about the Glenkens and District Community Fund.