Music Director

More information about our Musical Director, James Robertson

James Robertson comes from Helensburgh and now lives in Edinburgh with his wife, Pam. He is a music therapist and until 2013 was the Programme Leader of the MSc Music Therapy (Nordoff Robbins) at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. James has been conducting choirs for many years.

This has included the Hadley Court Singers in Haddington, the Choir of Northern College in Aberdeen (now the School of Education, University of Aberdeen), the Choir of Queen Margaret University, and St Serf’s Church Choir in Edinburgh. He has also been the Musical Director of Lochgelly & District Amateur Musical Association and Aberdeen Opera Company.

In studying the potential health benefits of choral singing, James completed a doctoral thesis based on the setting up of a choir for patients and staff in a medium secure forensic unit. James is a member of the Edinburgh Bach Choir and has composed a piece for them, Requiem for the Innocent, which is due to performed at a future date. He is delighted to be working with the Lauderdale Community Choir and enjoys adding to their wide repertoire with some of his own compositions and arrangements.

James has been inspired by recent world events to write a song called Bridges Not Walls. This is what James has to say:

“The underlying message of this composition is one of hope rather than protest. Whilst we are quick to condemn the building of literal walls which separate nations and communities, we also need to be aware of the metaphorical walls that each of us may build which prevent us from reaching out and actively helping our neighbours both near and far. Regardless of who we are, or where we are, we all share a common humanity. The words and music of this composition are a reminder to us all of the need for community and compassion: See the sun arising over the highest wall, together we can let more light shine when the bricks begin to fall.”

Listen to Lauderdale Community Choir singing ‘Bridges not Walls’: