Gwen Topp has directed Aberdeen Chorus for over 20 years. She joined in 1985 and took over as Director in 1995. Gwen’s passion, talent and creativity led our members to vote, overwhelmingly, to have Gwen as Director.
One of Gwen’s many talents is her vision and creation of our infamous Christmas shows. We have covered everything from the toad with the croak from Drumoak (a local village) to Major Tom floating in a tin can, nativity plays under darkness with UV lighting, and Cinderella and the ugly sisters! Many of the songs, tags, change of lyrics was down to Gwen.
Not only is Gwen such a creative talent, she is also a talented arranger. The chorus has been so fortunate to sing many of her own arrangements from Scottish ballads to Gilbert & Sullivan light-hearted opera!
Gwen has sung baritone in her quartet, Vocal Zone, for the last 18 years and again her talent shines through with their performances. Although Gwen built up the chorus over the years raising the standard of singing, her focus has always been firmly on friendship and fun. Being a director is not just about music and singing, it’s also about relationships with the singers. Gwen’s quiet kindness to many chorus members will always be remembered. Her tact and diplomacy were often called for in dealing with situations that come up and every single time, she dealt with the issue in a professional, diplomatic and kind manner.
In every rehearsal and on stage, Gwen is graceful, respectful, tactful – and always with a smile. Gwen is a true friend to all chorus members, past and present, and Aberdeen Chorus would not have had the successes without her.