As winter approaches and fuel bills skyrocket, the Dunfermline Foodbank will undoubtably be under even more pressure to help people out in the coming months, so our friends at Strictly Songtime thought they could do their bit to help by staging a fund-raising concert. They being on this occasion Anne Diack, Greig Hill, Ian & Lorna Brown and Susan Burnett, abetted by Reece Smith and the Morrison clan of Steve, Sam and Oliver, with Andrew Thomson on the keys.

An evening of music theatre songs – well-known and not so – in the St Andrew’s Erskine Parish Church in Robertson Road, Dunfermline at 7:30pm on Saturday 12 November. Tickets £10 from 01383 724487 and ten.yawetagkunull@emitgnosyltcirts, with all food donations gratefully received on the night.

So why not leave Strictly Come Dancing on the i-player for later and join Strictly Songtime (they had the name first!) for a night at the musicals, and boost the Dunfermline Foodbank’s coffers and supplies!

Kirkcaldy Orchestral Society, Fife’s Community Orchestra, is very much still in business despite the pandemic, and working towards its Christmas concert at 3.00pm on Saturday 12 December  in the Orchestra’s home, the Old Kirk, Kirkcaldy. You’ll be able to enjoy a pleasant Christmas-themed programme, for which John Gourlay (who plays oboe in the DGASS orchestra in normal times, so not 2022!) has written a specially-commissioned work – “We Wish You a Merry Fugue”.

Note that this year, because of understandable nervousness about large numbers, there is just one concert, rather than the usual two, and there will be no choir, no narration and no communal singing. Just music!  Important to note is that there are limited numbers of tickets available, and these have to be pre-booked, so buy your tickets now from Ellen Patrick!

Further details on the poster linked to the image.

The Dunfermline Arts Guild series of chamber music concerts – “Music on Sundays” – has been a casualty of COVID-19, but we’re delighted that there’s a special concert at 7:30pm on Sunday 14 November. Their usual venue at the Carnegie Hall Studio is currently closed, so the concert will take place in nearby Viewfield Baptist Church.

GAIA are an award-winning violin and cello duo, combining two of Scotland’s most distinguished chamber musicians – Katrina Lee and Alice Allen. GAIA are winners of Chamber Music Scotland’s highly competitive and prestigious two-year residency, and the Arts Guild have been fortunate to secure a date on their tour of Scotland. The programme combines well-known pieces by Corelli and Ravel with interesting compositions by an overlooked female composer and a new commission from Sally Beamish. Bring your facemask and £12 and be prepared to enjoy a stimulating evening. Better still, book in advance. All the details you need are at this link.

We’re very used to Zoom for our weekly socials and wider in-house entertainments such as the recent panto and the forthcoming concert version of The Mikado. So we have just the technology needed to share in Fife Opera’s Zoom concert at 7:30pm on Saturday 27 March. We are promised a very varied programme of songs with a spring theme.

Our friends in Kirkcaldy G&S Society are pushing out those gondolas at the Adam Smith Theatre from Thursday 5 March to Saturday 7 March, evenings at 7.30pm plus a 2.30pm matinée on the Saturday.

Once more the show direction will be in the secure hands of Robin Ożóg, both as director and in his stage role as Don Alhambra del Bolero, pulling all the strings! Remarkably, Robin will then have played every one of the gentlemen principal parts in the opera!

Other well-kent faces from our “Meet the Stars” pages are Michael McFarlane as The Duke of Plaza-Toro, Nick Temperley as Marco Palmieri, Jack Archibald as Antonio, and Sinead Black as Fiametta, with Sharon Edgar, a loyal member of our chorus, as Vittoria.

Ask any of these friends to get you tickets, or you can buy from the Society Box Office (07870 901606), online at https://www.facebook.com/kirkgandss, or the Theatre Box Office (01592 583302). And you can see what fun they’ve been having on their Facebook page!

14 March update: We have just received the information that “Due to the rapidly changing situation with the coronavirus outbreak and concerns for the health of our audience and orchestra members, Kirkcaldy Orchestral Society has taken the decision to postpone its concerts planned for Friday 20 March at St Columba’s School, Dunfermline and Sunday 22 March at the Old Kirk, Kirkcaldy. Once the current situation stabilises, it is hoped that it will be possible to announce dates later in the year when the concerts will be performed.”

Only £5 to see Fife’s Community Orchestra  (Kirkcaldy Orchestral Society) in Dunfermline at 7.30pm on Friday 20 March at St Columba’s RC High School.

What a bargain! Varied programme: a Mozart Horn Concerto; a specially commissioned Concerto for Orchestra by John Gourlay (oboist in our HMS Pinafore orchestra) plus other music to showcase the instrument families within the large orchestra. More details if you click the image.

Ellen Patrick says it’s sounding good! (You can pay £9 a ticket for the Old Kirk of Kirkcaldy concert on Sunday 22 March if you prefer)

Support The Soko Fund’s work in Malawi, and enjoy a rare opportunity to hear (or even sing in!) Dvorak’s Mass in D minor conducted by John Kitchin at St Cuthbert’s Church, Edinburgh on 29 February – rehearsals 2.00–5.00pm; concert at 6.00pm. Details on the flier linked to the image.

Bunthorne’s words come to mind: “Come, walk up, and purchase with avidity, overcome your diffidence and natural timidity, tickets … should be purchased with rapidity … – Such an opportunity may not occur again!”