Bellshill concerts attracting audiences from across the world as music man Duncan plays on

Duncan Mackay of Bellshill West Parish Church is tuning up to broadcast his 50th episode on Thursday, May 20.

The Strathview Road resident who taught music at Strathaven Academy for 33 years is also a sound engineer and has another claim to fame which links him with a legendary German music maker Karlheinz Stockhausen -as he was one of the pioneering composer's students.

Duncan said: "During the pandemic we have also been producing a weekly Facebook series of videos called ‘Classic Music from the West’. Over the series it has attracted over 30,000 views globally and as far away as Australia, Canada and the United Arab Emirates.

This episode will feature twenty favourite pieces of music performed on three different keyboards – piano, electronic keyboard and church organ"

Yet that is not all Duncan has been up to at Bellshill West during this period of lockdown, in what has been a further morale booster for the Main Street place of worship. He said:"To raise funds for the church I recently performed, recorded and produced a CD called ‘Sounds of Scotland’ which features over 20 tracks of Scottish music. It has sold out, raising £400 for church funds"

You can tune into the concerts on the church’s own Facebook page.