During my College of Education year (1956-7) at Moray House in Edinburgh, I was, all too briefly, organist and choirmaster at Morningside High Church (which, not many years after, was converted into the Church Hill Theatre). It was one of the last churches to have “paid singers”. To my delight, I found that Elizabeth (Bunty) Todd, and Helen Cochrane, were of the same calibre as my fellow students in London at the RAM had been. I soon learned that they were Herrick Bunney’s chosen “stand out from the choir” aria soloists (along with (Dr) George Gordon and Bob Whittaker) in the University Singers’ annual performances of the Bach St Matthew and St. John Passions. Helen of course of a real contralto, but albeit with a top A for Gerontius, rather than one of today’s ubiquituous mezzos, who leave a lot to be desired below middle C!
John Walker, d.o.b. 1934