History

For 65 years, since the late June Gordon - Marchioness of Aberdeen and Temair (1913 - 2009) organised the first Christmas Carol Concert in 1945 in the family chapel (continuing there every year to this day)  a succession of internationally renowned artists have helped make this North East Scotland venue a lively stage for the very best in choral, operatic and drama productions.

Lady Aberdeen, known professionally as June Gordon, was a graduate of the Royal College of Music is a pianist and conductor by training and she developed Haddo's musical programme with great enterprise. She started with directing the 'Messiah' with soloist Elsie Suddaby in 1947 and other highlights have included 1950's Bach's 'St Matthew's Passion' with oboist Leon Goosens in a soloist role and major choral works by Elgar, Delius, Tippett, Vaughan Williams and Howells and many operas which require chorus.

June was very supportive of young musicians - Dame Janet Baker was asked to perform there immediately on graduating from the Royal College of Music because Lady Aberdeen thought her 'promising' and Glasgow-born Rosalind Sutherland first performed Desdemona in Verdi's 'Otello' at Haddo in 1996; returned as Micaela in 'Carmen' in 1997 before finding fame taking the title role in 'Madame Butterfly' at San Francisco Opera House.

Judith Lovat, now with the Philadelphia Opera, gained early experience at Haddo. Other eminent musicians to appear have included: Benjamin Britten, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Willard White, Sarah Walker, Neil Mackie, Patricia MacMahon and Lisa Milne to name but a few. In recent years there has been a strong international flavour with visiting performers from France, Finland, Denmark, Germany and America.

For many years a Summer Play was produced, using the renowned Globe Stage in the Hall for Shakespeare one year and presenting another playwright's work  the next, but this has recently been discontinued. As a young man Prince Edward appeared several times in these productions.

In 2003 there was a special programme to mark Lady Aberdeen's 90th year:  Donizetti's tragic opera 'Lucia di Lammermoor' was performed at Easter and in November they were joined by other local choirs and singers in Elgar's magnificent 'The Dream of Gerontius' (in the Music Hall, Aberdeen) under the baton of James Loughran.

In 2006 the Society celebrated its 60th anniversary with a year of special events. They started with the Carols (2005), when in addition to the usual Chapel concerts, they performed in an extra large production in the Parish Church, Ellon. This concert for the first time included all 120 members of the Haddo Junior Choirs. In June the Society produced a very special and lavish production of Johann Strauss's 'Die Fledermaus', in association with Carl Rosa opera. This was followed immediately by their celebratory Champagne Summer Ball. Their final event was an epic concert in the Music Hall, Aberdeen, of Verdi's Requiem featuring 120 singers, 65 musicians, a star line up of performers and guest conductor David Jones.

In 2010 a major concert is being planned as a memorial toe Lady Aberdeen. This will be in the Music Hall in Aberdeen on September 25th, and will feature musicians with strong connections to June performing Bach's B minor Mass - a work she conducted more often than any other.

At the present time HHCOS celebrates the many young people who have grown up in the area who have performed at Haddo in one or more of the 'HUG' groups and have gone on to study music and the performing arts at tertiary level. Currently two young singers who have attended Haddo since childhood and who are the start of promising singing careers are Lisa Moffat and Eleanor Dennis.

Students from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama take part in the opera every year, gaining invaluable experience in the orchestra, chorus and/or taking small singing roles.

More Haddo background from Leopard Magazine
 

Serenade for June - Article Jan 2003

©2008 HHCOS

HHCOS is a Scottish charity reg. SC016577