Categories: uncategorized
Date: 16 January 2006 14:16:16
The heating was back on properly today - hooray! Martin How's Anthem, 'Day by Day' was sung from the choir stalls and sounded a good balance between parts. Even the clashy bits - those which were meant to clash - sounded right!
After a hurried coffee and rush home for some lunch, many of us were back again to catch the coach to the cathedral, to attend evensong and the installation of the Archdeacon of Totnes (our former vicar) - being put in his place at last! There was an awkward moment before the service started when it was realised that far more people had travelled from Tavistock than were expected. Those of us at the end of the queue wondered whether there would be no room at the inn, and began to think that we would have to hang around like 'contumacious persons without'; however additional seating was found in time and all was well.
The girl choristers and men made a commendable contribution to the service, with Andrew Millington's 'Praise the Lord O my Soul'; Psalm 99 to Anglican chant; Howells' yummy 'Coll. Reg.' Mag. and Nunc.; the Rose responses and Haydn's 'The Heavens are Telling'. Unusually for cathedral evensong we got the chance to sing three hymns: Christ is made the sure foundation, O thou who camest from above, and How shall I sing that majesty?, so those of us normally in the choir at our home church didn't feel too left out.
I'm sure the organ voluntary (Marche Pontificale - Widor) was wonderful, but we had to disappear quickly in order to catch the coach. Much as I love organ music, the thought of a 40+ mile walk on a wet day was less appealing.