The New York City Bar Chorus will present its first-ever joint concert with its Scottish counterpart, the Faculty of Advocates Choir of Edinburgh, on Tuesday, July 21, 2009 at 7:15 PM at the House of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, 42 West 44th Street,  Manhattan. The concert marks the 213th anniversary of the death of the "Scottish Bard," poet Robert Burns. The two choruses of legal professionals will perform an eclectic mix of American and Scottish songs (along with other surprises), and will be conducted by the City Bar Chorus's Musical Director, Kathryn E. Schneider.

The Faculty Choir found their City Bar counterparts via the Internet and reached out by e-mail to propose a collaboration. Planning for this transatlantic event began among Ross Macfarlane, Faculty of Advocates Choir Artistic Director; Neil Beynon, Faculty of Advocates Choir Musical Director; Ms. Schneider; and Kimberly Tate-Brown, City Bar Chorus Chair. The groups have been working for months to plan a program that combines the City Bar Chorus's core repertoire of Broadway, jazz and popular standards with Scottish traditional music. The choruses will be performing jointly and separately to highlight their respective performing styles.

Both ensembles have distinguished performing resumes. The City Bar Chorus is completing its 16th season, which included its gala 15th anniversary concert at the House of the Association; a tribute to Judith Kaye, former Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals, at the St. Regis Hotel; and more than 10 concerts for residents of senior residences, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities and other similar venues. The City Bar Chorus has been honored by NY1 News as one of its "New Yorkers of the Week," and received an Excellence in Public Service Award from The Hundred Year Association of New York for enriching New York City life by presenting more than 200 community outreach concerts since 1993.

The Faculty of Advocates Choir was founded in 1996. It concertizes regularly to raise funds for charitable causes in Edinburgh, Scotland. In addition to its concerts at home, the Faculty Choir has performed at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and at St. Peters Basilica in Rome.