An audience of 1800 turned out for this Messiah, in which Dr Béla de Csillery conducted an orchestra of local musicians. The ex-patriot Hungarian was on the music staff at Trinity College, Glenalmond and had been in charge of the choral societies and orchestras in both Dundee and Perth for several years. However this would be his final season as he was about to move to a new post in Kent. His final appearance with the Dundee choir would be Dream of Gerontius in February.
While the lady soloists are unfamiliar, the same cannot be said of the two men. Bill McCue was at the start of a notable career and was about to start an engagement at Covent Garden. In 1962 he would begin a lifelong relationship with Scottish Opera. He would also became an extremely popular performer on television in Scotland.
The Yorkshire tenor John Wakefield had a very successful career through the 1960s, making many appearances with Scottish Opera, Sadler's Wells and Covent Garden.
Dundee Orchestral Society was established in the 19th century using local semi-professional and professional musicians eventually traded under the name Dundee Symphony Orchestra.
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