A haunting piano performance

Elaine, from Crookfur, takes to the Rennie Mackintosh church at Queens Cross on Friday (October 4), hoping to raise funds for the group in a bid to convert the main body of the building into a performance space.

It’s a home from home for the RSAMD (now Royal Conservatoire)-trained pianist, who was once the deputy organist at the Mackintosh church — the only one ever designed by the Glasgow architect — when it was still used as a place of 
worship.

The recital coincides with an art exhibition by Frances Law, and Elaine will be performing Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, which she recorded last year and has played at venues throughout Scotland.

The programme of events — presented by the BBC’s Judith Ralston — also includes a song recital by Scottish baritone Paul Keohone and accompanist Robert 
Sutherland.

But it seems that Elaine and Paul Keonhone won’t be the only famous faces to look out for, as the CRM Society headquarters is reputed to be haunted by the ghost of the world-renowned designer himself.

According to the society, several people have reported sightings of a spectre fitting Mackintosh’s description — but will East Renfrewshire woman Elaine be put off by the ghost stories?

“Not at all,” she told The Extra. “I fully intend to give a spirited performance — but it is a little weird that the cover of my CD features an architectural design by Viktor Hartmann, a near contemporary of Mackintosh and whose innovative designs rather eerily anticipate the later genius of Mackintosh.”

Tickets for Friday’s concert are available at www.crmsociety.com/40thanniversary
dinner.

Elaine will also be performing a short recital, Cream Teas and Classics, at Newton Mearns baptist church’s tea@2 session today (Thursday).