Categories: uncategorized
Date: 27 December 2004 21:44:08
After an hour singing carols - and avoiding the Norwalk virus - at the local hospital, I managed to stay awake until Midnight Mass, no mean feat after all that chocolate and mince pies. Midnight Mass was crowded and candlelit, providing a great atmosphere as well as an anxious moment as the ivy around one of the candles caught alight. Quick action from one of the tenors saved the day......
No anthem at Midnight Mass - traditionally the handbell ringers ring changes, rather well, followed by some beautiful arrangements of christmas carols on the organ. And a chance for the choir to relax for once. 'Yea Lord we greet thee, born this happy morning' was sung immediately after midnight - what perfect timing!
Christmas morning saw the church surprisingly full - presumably most people were not the same ones as had attended at midnight. The anthem was the carol 'The Infant King', marred only by the urgent departure of one of the male members of the congregation just as we were starting the final verse, pushing roughly past the choirmaster and some of the sopranos. Whether he didn't like our singing, or the frequent mention of dying and death in the anthem, or whether his overindulgence had suddenly caught up with him, we never found out.
Unfortunately, there were not so many in the congregation, or in the front row of the choirstalls the next day (do we call it Boxing Day when it falls on a Sunday?), so 'Away in a Manger' (arranged Willcocks) was understandaby muted and there were no descants. But with fewer choirmembers, there were lots of chocolates in the vestry to go round, so life wasn't all bad. Now we get a whole week off!