Scotland’s first NSSP Choral Director

Gordon Jack is Scotland’s first NSSP Choral Director, working in the Diocese of Aberdeen. Gordon is a singer, music educator and choral conductor. He studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama gaining a BA in Music Performance and two PGCE certificates in trumpet and singing.

His varied singing career has spanned solo, vocal ensemble, choral and operatic work throughout the UK. He started conducting while at the RSAMD and has directed many children’s, youth and adult choirs, both in Iceland and the UK. He was the first Director of the National Youth Choir of Scotland Training Choir and has taught singing and musicianship on the National Boys Choir courses and conducted the Changed Voices section in concert. Gordon has taught Kodály musicianship in over 60 schools in Aberdeenshire and trained early years and lower primary staff to use the Kodály-inspired musicianship programme, ‘Sing-a-Ring’. He teaches singing at Robert Gordon’s College and the University of Aberdeen; and is the Music Director of the Inverurie Choral Society.

I am delighted to have appointed Gordon Jack to the post of Singing Tutor under the auspices of The National Schools Singing Programme. Mr Jack, who is a is a very experienced singing teacher, will provide tuition in four of our Catholic schools. We warmly welcome him to our Diocese and wish him all possible success in building choirs.
Bishop Hugh Gilbert OSB, Bishop of Aberdeen

Gordon Jack is a most welcome addition to our Liturgical Music education team. The first person to be appointed to a Scottish diocese under the sponsorship of the NSSP, he will join John Horton in promoting and developing young choirs. John, under a separate funding arrangement, has already taught in all our schools during the past 3 years and has created our Junior Schola at St Mary’s Cathedral. We are now very pleased to be able to expand this provision and are grateful to NSSP for offering this opportunity. We look forward to a brighter musical future in our schools and parishes.
David Meiklejohn, Project Adviser, NSSP, Scotland

It is exciting for me as a singing teacher and music educator to be given this opportunity to teach in four of the primary schools in the Diocese. It will be encouraging all the children to participate in the singing programme, so that they can sing confidently and musically. The younger children will, in time, have the opportunity to join their school choir. Those in the upper years at the moment will have the chance to be the first to sing in their school choir very soon. This is project will be welcomed by schools, churches and parents alike.
Gordon Jack, NSSP Choral Director, Diocese of Aberdeen