Anne Diack and Greig Hill met whilst performing in Quinquereme’s award-winning Scottish premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s "Into the Woods". As a direct result of the success of the production, Anne subsequently produced a concert in conjunction with the shows director, Fraser Grant, and other cast members at the BBC studios in Edinburgh, entitled Strictly Sondheim, from which the group then formed in 1998 derived the name STRICTLY SONGTIME.

Essentially now a duo, the group’s make-up is flexible, being augmented and adapted to suit the occasion and venue. A wide repertoire includes programmes of music theatre from London’s West End and Broadway, opera, operetta, popular standards, Scots songs, themed shows and music for public productions and for private marriage ceremonies, anniversaries, graduations, corporate entertainment and charity fund-raising concerts.

Previous engagements have ranged from an inaugural concert of Scots songs at the new Museum of Scotland to a programme of Italian opera at the opening of a Versace store, and the launch of Jenners Italian season.

Dinner Theatre appearances have included Mugdock Country Park, Milngavie, The Grouse and Claret restaurant, Heatheryford, and Brassiere Metro as part of the ‘West End Festival’.

During their first season at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 1999 they presented two programmes ‘Crazy for Gershwin’ and ‘Mad about the Boy’, (celebrating the centenary of Noel Coward’s birth). This led to appearances on Princes St. Garden’s Ross Bandstand and London’s Covent Garden. The group also performed live on Mr. Anderson’s Fine Tunes (BBC Radio Scotland) from Jenners Shop Window!

Thus began annual appearances at ‘The Fringe’ with a variety of shows including a Stephen Sondheim 70^th celebration, several ‘Broadway to Basin Street’ jazz/music theatre combinations with jazz singer Edith Budge, (including a sell-out Rodgers and Hart programme), Operetta selections and programmes of the compositions of Cole Porter, Kurt Weill, and Jerome Kern, and a Mario Lanza tribute!

The company has also staged two Edinburgh and central Scotland premieres, the definitive Rodgers and Hammerstein revue, "A Grand Night for Singing" in 2001, and the Broadway musical "Rags" in 2002, as well as the Scottish Premiere of 'SHOWTUNE; a celebration of the words and music of Jerry Herman'.

2003 saw Strictly Songtime’s US debut, performing in and around Florida’s culture capital, Sarasota, culminating in the annual ‘Tartan Day’ concert.

This lead to a reciprocal hosting of their US singing colleagues, Doug and Lorraine Renfroe in a joint ‘Tartan, Stars & Stripes’ musical celebration in the Carnegie Hall.

Anne and Greig also perform regularly for The Council for Music in Hospitals, taking entertainment to those confined to hospitals, hospices and nursing homes throughout Scotland.

Previous roles include -

Sarah Brown in ‘Guys & Dolls’; Magnolia in ‘Showboat; Rebecca Herschowitz in ‘Rags’; ’ Tuptim in ‘The King and I’; Antonia in ‘Man of La Mancha’; Solange and Heidi in ‘Follies’; Florinda in ‘Into the Woods’; Judy in ‘Love from Judy,  Madame Dubonnet in 'The Boyfriend'’

Anna in ‘The Merry Widow’; Rosalinda and Adele in 'Die Fledermaus';

Helene in’ La Belle Helene’; Helene in ‘A Waltz Dream’; Georgine in ‘Lilac Domino’; Michaela in ‘Carmen’;

Mabel in ‘The Pirates of Penzance’; Josephine in ‘HMS Pinafore’; Yum-Yum in ‘The Mikado’; Casilda in ‘The Gondoliers’; Rose Maybud in ‘Ruddigore; Constance in ‘The Sorcerer’

OPERA

Despina in Mozart's 'Cosi fan tutti'; Suzanna in Mozart's 'Marriage of Figaro';

1st Witch in Purcell's 'Dido and Aeneas'; Orpheus and Euridice; The Magic Flute.

RECITAL WORK

Soprano solo in: Mozart Requiem; Mozart Laudate Dominum; Faure Requiem; Vivaldi Gloria

CHORAL WORK

John Currie’s Scottish Chorus and Perth Festival Chorus; Dr Eric von Ibler’s Schola Cantorum of Edinburgh

Curly McLean in ‘Oklahoma!; Donald Marshall in ‘Irene’; Valentine Sutton in ‘White Horse Inn’; Frank Butler in ‘Annie Get Your Gun’; Gaylord Ravenal in ‘Showboat’; Billy Bigelow in ‘Carousel’; The Poet in ‘Kismet’; Perchik and Lazar Wolf in ‘Fiddler on the Roof’; King Arthur in ‘Camelot’; Fred Graham in ‘Kiss Me Kate’; Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf in ‘Into the Woods’; C K Dexter Haven in ‘High Society’; Sky Masterson in ‘Guys and Dolls’; Nathan Herschowitz in‘Rags’

Don Jose and Escamillo in ‘Carmen’; Danilo Danilovitsch in ‘The Merry Widow'; Gabriel Eisenstein, Dr Falke and Alfred in ‘Die Fledermaus’; Robert Misson in ‘The New Moon’; Francios Villon in ‘The Vagabond King'; Ebezeder in ‘Waltzes from Vienna’; The Pirate King and Frederic in ‘The Pirates of Penzance’; Luiz in ‘The Gondoliers’

Donizetti’s ‘Elixer of Love’; Gounod’s‘Faust’