Gillian Craig - 'The story of conducting'

Thirty two Members were in attendance, with Club President Donald Cameron in the Chair.
Rotarian Bela Simandi introduced a colleague from the University of St Andrews Music centre as the guest speaker. Gillian Craig is well known in Fife as a choral and orchestral conductor, also as a respected soloist on the clarinet.
She provided an intriguing account of what it feels like to be a conductor, communicating with musicians through facial expressions, physical expression and the use of the baton.
Gillian spoke of the origins of conducting from the ancient Greeks who clapped or tapped along to their music, the singing at services in monasteries conducted by hand, the direction of musicians from the keyboard in the time of Bach and Handel.Other methods evolved including banging a pole on the floor, but by the 1800's the interpretative solo conductor was making an appearance using different styles of baton.
She believed that humility and humour were prerequisites for being a conductor and every concert should be treated as a learning experience. With experience comes the facility for carrying the music score in your head and the ability to train silently, without musicians present.
Gillian alluded to some of the humour quoted from the great conductors and their longevity attributed to the exercise of conducting.
Rotarian Bob Buglass proposed the Club's vote of thanks.