The wow factor

Ayrshire Soprano had the “WOW” Factor!


Marie Claire Breen

This was how Commissioner Keith Banks of the Salvation Army described the exceptional singing talents of Saltcoats born soprano Marie Claire Breen as she inspired the audience at Holy Trinity Church last Sunday evening.



The large audience who attended a fund raising concert organized by The Salvation Army held in the Holy Trinity Church in Ayr last Sunday were inspired by the young soloist who is currently studying at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama’s Opera School.


Sharing the platform in this Evening of Concert Classics was the Paisley Philharmonic Choir under the leadership if Ian Anderson on their first visit to Ayr, the choir’s rich and balanced singing along with impeccable accompaniments of Bill Ross was a treat enjoyed by everyone in attendance.

The Salvation Army would like to say thanks to Holy Trinity Church in Ayr who made the evening possible and as a result of this fine evening of music, The Salvation Army were delighted to be able to donate £500 to the Ayrshire Hospice.

Bandmaster Bobby Irvine

Attempt Great Things

Attempt great things for God


Last week, I invited you to ‘expect the unexpected’; pausing to reflect that many people’s lives had become so uniform and organised that they had inadvertently forgotten that God can move in power to transform our world and the situations in which we find ourselves.

It got me to thinking that, during my time living in London, I had visited Westminster Abbey. Among the many fantastic objects on display, and commemorative plaques charting the history of Christianity and significant figures in the history of the nation, there was one object in particular that stood out for me.

The object in question was a hand carved lectern that had been gifted to the Abbey in 1949 by the Baptist Missionary Society. It stands at the front of the Church, close to the High Altar and carved into the lectern are these words:

“Expect great things from God.
Attempt great things for God.”

They commemorate the life of William Carey (1761-1834), who was the first missionary to India sent out by the Baptist Missionary Society. These words were the motto for his life’s work. He helped spread the Christian gospel far and wide and is known as the “Father of modern missions”.
As God’s fellow workers in spreading his gospel message, we need to go a step further from simply “expecting the unexpected”. Not only do we need to expect God to move in power, we must be prepared to be his instruments and “attempt great things for God”.
Carey did – and changed the course of history. Was he born in greatness, with particular standing or family power? No – born the son of weavers, himself becoming a shoemaker. Yet, he was assured that the power of God working through him could make a difference in people’s lives. He ‘expected great things from God’ and so was willing to ‘attempt great things for God’.
How about you?


Graeme Parkhill

Expect the Unexpected

Expect the unexpected!


I wonder if any of you have been following the last few games in the race for the Scottish
Premier League football title?

I’m a fan of Rangers Football Club and it’s been quite a roller-coaster season – and especially so in the last few games. Rangers’ great rivals, Celtic, have been going for their fourth championship win in a row and at points during the season have been up to 7 points clear of Rangers and, seemingly coasting for the title.

A few weeks ago, Rangers and Celtic played each other, with the winner taking the advantage in the race for the championship. Rangers came out on top – advantage Rangers. However, during last week a 1-1 draw with Hibernian gave the advantage back to Celtic. All Celtic had to do was win their remaining two games and the title was theirs.

But on Sunday, Celtic could only manage a 0-0 draw with Hibernian. Advantage back to Rangers! Nobody would have believed it possible that Celtic would slip up.
Now we have a nerve jangling final day of the season to see who will finally be victorious.

It got me to thinking that, as a nation, we never expect the unexpected. We always think we know what will lie in wait around the corner. Life has, for many people, become so
well planned and methodical.

In the Church, this is often the case also. We no longer expect anything different from God. And too many of us have become used to decline and a general falling away of the faith in this country. Many see there being no chance of this changing.

How we underestimate God. How little faith we have in a God who can change circumstances with a sweep of His hand, or an outpouring of His Spirit.

We read in Isaiah 43:18, 19 “The Lord says, ‘Forget what happened before, and do not think about the past. Look at the new thing I am going to do. It is already happening. Don’t you see it?”

Whilst our country may seem to be heading down a never-ending tunnel to a God-less eternity, let us have faith enough to believe that God can change the direction our country
is taking. Expect the unexpected, so to speak. And have courage enough to pray for a mighty outpouring of His Spirit in this land to see the unexpected actually come to fruition.


Graeme Parkhill

Cafe Church for May

Ayr Citadel Corps is happy to announce that our next Cafe Church will be held in Holy Trinity Church, Ayr on Sunday 31May 2009 at 7:00PM.

Our guests for the evening will be the Paisley Philharmonic Choir with guest soloist Ms. Marie-Claire Breen (Contralto).

The proceeds of this evening of concert classics will be given in aid of The Ayrshire Hospice.

Tickets are a real bargain at only £5 each and are available now at McKay's Music in Cathcart Street, Ayr.

Plan now to attend, and invite your family and friends!



Ms. Marie-Claire Breen (Contralto)

Marie Claire graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama with a BMus Honours in 2007 and Postgraduate Diploma (with Distinction) in 2008, having studied with Margaret Izatt. She is currently on the Master of Music (Opera) course at the Alexander Gibson Opera School, under the tuition of Patricia Hay.

With the RSAMD, Marie Claire has taken part in several competitions, concerts and operas. She was a chorus member for “Eugene Onegin”, “Don Giovanni” and “Falstaff”, understudied the role of Despina in the 2008 production of “Cosi fan Tutte” and played Soeur Anne de la Croix in Poulenc’s “Dialogues des Carmelites”. She recently played the role of Najade in the Spring production of “Ariadne auf Naxos”.

She was awarded the Norma Greig Prize for French Song and was second prize winner in the A. Ramsay Calder Debussy Prize 2008. In 2004 she was selected to represent the RSAMD at the annual Kathleen Ferrier Society Bursary Competition for Young Singers, where she reached the final round.

Marie Claire has taken part in master classes with Mhairi Lawson, Malcolm Martineau, Roger Vignoles and Donald Maxwell. She sings regularly across the country, most recently as soprano soloist in Purcell’s “Ode on St. Cecilia’s Day”, Britten’s “Hymn to St. Cilia”, Hayden’s “Paukenmesse”, Handel’s “Israel in Egypt” and “Messiah”. She recently played the role of Rowan in Britten’s “The Little Sweep” for the Aberdeen International Youth Festival. Recent engagements include Handel’s “Dixit Dominus”, a recital in Paisley Abbey as part of the Paisley Choral Festival and a tour of Washington DC. Performing and recording duets with trumpet virtuoso and RSAMD Principal, John Wallace. Future engagements include two performances at St. Mary’s Collage of Maryland’s annual River Concert series where she will perform once again with John Wallace and other internationally acclaimed trumpeters.

Marie Claire’s studies are generously supported by the RSAMD scholarship fund, Musician’s Benevolent Fund, Sir James Caird’s Travelling Scholarship and The Jim Forson Singing Fund.


In September 1988 Ian Anderson (pictured), then Principal Teacher of Music at Stanely Green High School in Paisley, was asked to form a choir to give a performance of Handel's Messiah as part of Greenlaw Church's centenary. Following the success of that venture, it was decided to constitute the Paisley Philharmonic Choir on a permanent basis.

Since then the Choir has grown to its present strength of approximately 70 members, covering a wide age range and drawing people from the Paisley area and beyond. The Choir presents three concerts each year in Paisley Town Hall in December, March and May.
In addition the Choir has presented many concerts in aid of charity. Over the years they have raised substantial sums of money for Cystic Fibrosis, the Yorkhill Scanner Appeal, Riding for the Disabled, Cancer Research, the British Diabetic Association, Multiple Sclerosis, Christian Aid, the Roy Castle Lung Foundation and others.
In addition, the Choir undertakes several one-off projects. In autumn 2004, for example, they completed the recording of a Christmas CD in association with the Scottish Co-Op Band.
The Choir's repertoire is extensive and includes carols, folk songs, spirituals, motets, madrigals, Scottish songs and choruses from opera, operetta and musicals. Each May they perform a concert of some of the finest oratorios in the choral repertoire.

Easter brings Big Hope to Ayr

(all photographs are courtesy of Jim McDonald)
The ecumenical procession parades down Ayr High Street

An empty tomb, a risen Lord, a rejoicing people!

Several goals were achieved during the Easter weekend celebrations:-

The people of Ayr were contacted with an Easter “giveaway” on Saturday afternoon, and were challenged by the witness of young people from the West of Scotland who formed a youth choir and youth band.

The shoppers on Ayr High Street stopped and watched the spectacle of Army Flags, Drums, Brass Band and Timbrels as more than 150 witnesses held an Easter Parade led by the cross and local clergy.

During the Sunday Service many people made new or renewed commitments to the Lord and asked him to be their personal Saviour.

From the first strains of “When I survey the Wondrous Cross” at the start of our Good Friday gathering to the final “I know that my Redeemer Lives” on Sunday afternoon, everyone knew that we were meeting with the risen Lord Jesus.

And Ayr Town Hall was filled by the Spirit of the Living God.


The specially invited leaders for the weekend were the recently appointed Divisional Commanders of the Salvation Army in the West of Scotland, Majors Vic & Miriam Kennedy, who challenged everyone to come to the foot of the cross. Picking up the theme that Easter is the Big Hope for our personal lives as well as the world, they proclaimed that we have a "Third Day" God – one who is Risen, one who provides us with a positive and optimistic view of life - if only we will accept Him as Lord and Saviour.

During the weekend many Musical Sections from various centres of the Salvation Army in the West of Scotland took part in support of the convention. On Friday evening it was the Band from Hamilton whose contribution reflected the mood of the Day Jesus Died on the cross for us. The featured vocal soloist for the Friday evening session was Ayr Citadel's own Musical Ministries Leader, Bobby Irvine, who never fails to bless with his rich tenor voice.



On Easter Saturday all were reminded that the Risen Jesus is for all ages as the West of Scotland Youth Chorus & Youth Band provided lively and relevant music as well as innovative drama at our open-air service in the High Street. They also participated in the "Sing to the King" evening in the Town Hall.

On Easter Sunday the Band from the Clydebank Corps and the adult Choir (Songsters) from the Govan Corps provided a marvelous spectacle as they provided music on the march for the ecumenical Easter Parade down the High Street. These were sights and sounds which will not soon be forgotten.

In the concluding evening gathering both the band and the songsters added much valuable contribution to the service and we thank their leaders for helping to make the convention memorable.


Other special guests for the Convention were "Vision Brass" and renowned soprano soloist Stephanie Lamplough from The Salvation Army’s Birmingham Citadel Corps. Vision Brass are a group of seven highly talented musicians, several of whom are professional musicians, who use their gifts to enhance any worship experience. Each one of them is a committed Christian who place the Lord Jesus at the centre of all they do. Stephanie is a classically trained soprano, who in recent years has focused her significant talents on serving her risen saviour.
The contributions from the group ranged from Classical Arias to haunting melodies from classical marches to the streets of New Orleans, each one saying it can be fun worshipping a risen Saviour!


Perhaps the biggest cheer and applause of the weekend was reserved for the young puppeteers of the Ayr Citadel Performing Arts Club! They were able to bring a unique and enchanting form of worship with their own unique style and presentation of “Oh Happy Day”!






The puppeteers in full voice!




While the Convention certainly celebrated an even that occurred nearly two thousand years ago, its focus was on the continuing events which take place in the lives of those who have committed to the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Many people either made, for the first time, or renewed, that commitment during the convention. For those who didn't, but would like to make or renew that commitment, you may find it helpful to print out and sign the following declaration of faith. Then contact the local church of your choice to put your faith into action. You will certainly be made very welcome at the Ayr Citadel Corps!


My commitment:

Lord Jesus, thank you that the Easter message is a message of Hope, Thank you that this hope is available today and for me.
Today I put my faith and trust in you and I commit myself to share with others the hope I have found in you.
Signed …………………………… Date:……………………………….

Celebration of Life

A Memorial Service will be held this Friday Evening in Ayr Town Hall at 7:00 pm.

All humankind is invited. Special facilities for children. No charge for admission.

PAC video released!

We are pleased to announce that if you missed the last performance at Cafe Church by our Performing Arts Club, all is not lost!

Click on the picture above to view video highlights of the evening.

Make sure to mark your calendar to catch the next installment of this outstanding group of performers!