Categories: uncategorized
Date: 09 May 2005 11:23:18
A quiet Ascension Day service on Thursday - no anthem as it was known in advance that there would only be a small choir. But a lovely service nonetheless - although we were one reading short, as the organist didn't notice the lesson reader and struck up with the next hymn too early. Most choristers managed to keep a straight face - regrettably I wasn't one of them. Mistakes like this are actually very rare at my church, so in my view we had to make the most of it :D
A treat at Choirpractice on Friday - it was taken by Andrew Millington, organist and master of the choristers at Exeter Cathedral, as we were rehearsing the music for the next day's Diocesan Choral Festival. We worked extra hard and sang extra well - I bet our choirmaster wishes we put that much effort in every week......
There were about 200 singers in the Cathedral, from choirs all over the diocese in robes of all colours of the rainbow, plus the full cathedral choir - boys, girls and men. Apart from some hiccups in trying to keep in time with such a large group, the day went well (apart from a very strange interloper yelling that we shouldn't believe in God because he causes earthquakes???!!!!) and we managed to make the music sound pretty much as it was intended. Anthems included: 'You shall receive power' (Sumsion). 'Thou art Peter' (Morgan), 'Crux Fidelis' (John of Portugal), 'Glory, love and praise' (Harris), 'O how glorious' (Harwood), plus several hymns. The acting Dean gave the sermon, based on colours in the bible (launched from observing the colourful robes all around him). Once again, the younger choristers repaired to McDonalds during the interval, whilst the older members found a smart tea shop by the Cathedral Green. It's much harder to sing well when you're stuffed with goodies....
Sunday morning saw two services, the usual Eucharist at the slightly earlier time of 9.30am with 'Come Holy Ghost' (Attwood) as the anthem - surely a week early? - and a very welcome visit from our favourite soprano who regrettably now spends most of her life several hundred miles away. This was followed by an outdoor service to commemorate VE day, with choir, band and military groups surrounding the war memorial. There were only a few spots of rain, so the vicar's large umbrella frightened most of the clouds away, as we sang 'Now thank we all our God' and the National Anthem.
There was no coffee after either of these services, so we returned home gasping.