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Saturday December 5th 2026

Christmas at DCU

Ring in the festive season with one of Scotland’s leading amateur choirs! Over one hundred singers led by renowned Musical Director Mandy Miller will thrill you with a selection box of Christmas music, accompanied by a string quartet and our resident musicians. With everything from traditional carols to contemporary favourites there’s something for everyone – why not bring your friends and family and start your Christmas festivities with us?

Saturday 5th December 2026

3pm and 7:30pm

The Vine Conference Centre
Garvock Hill
Dunfermline

Tickets Not yet Available

Our Guest String Quartet

Louise Timney

Louise began her musical studies as a pupil in Fife going on to graduate from Glasgow University with a joint honours in Music and Scottish Literature. She completed a class teaching qualification at Moray House in Edinburgh and is currently Director of Music at Dollar Academy. A member of the SQA assessment team and Scottish Association for Music Education committee, she is an avid supporter of all things music education. She performs in several chamber ensembles including Cromlits Lilt, a Fife based Baroque String Ensemble, and has been a regular player for DCU since 1993. She is looking forward to working with them again this season.

Mairi Holligan

After graduating from the RSAMD Mairi returned home to take up a post as a String Instructor in Fife. She loved her teaching job and had the privilege of working with many talented and enthusiastic pupils, many of whom have become professional musicians themselves. After 42 years of teaching and conducting she eventually decided to retire last year. Mairi has always and still enjoys playing for Chorals, Operas Weddings and Musicals and is looking forward to this season with DCU

Judith Buttars

Judith started playing the viola at the age of 13, in response to a shortage of violas at her school! Whilst at St. Leonard’s School in St. Andrews, she studied with Steve King (SCO) and was a co-principal of the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland and Camerata Scotland, touring Amsterdam, Berlin, London and Tallinn. After graduating with a BMus (Hons) from the University of Glasgow, she completed a PGCE (with distinction) from Moray House, Edinburgh University and started working as a teacher of Music at George Heriot’s School in Edinburgh. In addition to her role at Heriot’s Judith is the Director of the Symphony Orchestra, Strings Camerata and conducts a variety of Chamber Ensembles, most notably the Chamber Choir, with whom she has toured extensively throughout Europe.

Judith is one of the most sought after viola players on the Scottish orchestral scene and is currently principal viola for the Orchestra of the Canongait, Borders Chamber Orchestra, and Philomusica of Edinburgh. She is also a keen violinist playing first violin in both Fife Opera and Tayside Opera and has just been appointed as leader of the Peebles Orchestra.

Ilse McFarlane

After a decade of trying to juggle two careers, Ilse decided to leave the field of software engineering to concentrate on music. She has performed throughout Britain as a freelance musician and has a particular love of chamber music. She now spends the majority of her time teaching the ‘cello in both state and independent schools, seeking to nurture a similar love of music in children. Playing the uplifting music of a DCU Christmas concert is the perfect way to celebrate the festive season with friends.

Our Regular Musicians

Erik Knussen

Glasgow-born Erik played double bass with The Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Opera and The Scottish Chamber Orchestra before moving to Fife in 1987 to teach lower strings in Fife Schools. Erik has maintained a busy performing schedule, not only as a regular accompanying musician with Dunfermline Choral Union but also as a traditional musician, working with The Neil Gow Ensemble, The Bowhill Players, John  Watt and David Hershaw and Sandie Forbes to name but a few. He has also performed at various events and weddings (most notably Madonna’s!)

Scott Vassie

A freelance drummer and percussionist based in Glasgow, Scott has experience of performing with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Scottish Ballet and Scottish Opera among others. 

Since graduating from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2023, Scott has enjoyed playing in venues across the UK such as the OVO Hydro, London Hammersmith Apollo, Birmingham Symphony Hall and The Glasshouse International Centre for Music. 

Alongside performing, Scott teaches regularly for Glasgow City Council, Hutchesons’ Grammar School and East Dunbartonshire Council. He always enjoys returning to perform with Dunfermline Choral Union.”

Tom Lowe

Scottish born Tom Lowe began his formal music education in 2010 at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RSC). On graduating from his postgraduate studies at RSC in 2016, Tom was awarded the Principal’s Prize for All Round Excellence in the School of Music.

As a performer Tom has gone on to establish a rich freelance career with all of the major orchestras in Scotland and as a period instrumentalist with many baroque ensembles throughout the UK.