Whizz bang shimmer

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 13 November 2004 19:13:08

Before the fireworks and hot soup - more of that later - we had to sing for our supper. Lots and lots of children in smart uniforms and blue knees filled the pews this Sunday morning, for it was time for the local prep school to join in our service. It is very interesting to hear perfect diction in the readings and prayers; no matter how hard the adults try, they cannot match a well-rehearsed elocution student. Our main tenor battled with a sore throat to act as cantor for the Peruvian Gloria, then we sang 'Never weather beaten sail' by Campion as the Anthem. The choir were divided as to whether they would have preferred to sing the Wood setting, but in this instance the choirmaster won.

With the alto section at an all-time low in the evening, 'Save us O Lord' by Bairstow seemed to be a highly appropriately named anthem. However, the other parts were exhorted to tone it down a bit and the end result was rather gentle and pleasant. Voices were restored by mugs of the aforementioned hot soup and the vicarage garden reverberated to the sound of mortars and rockets which I'm sure are not normally permitted for public sale. Fortunately the vicar is on very good terms with the local shopkeepers and managed to persuade them to part with their biggest and best. We 'oohed' and 'aahed' and 'eeked' at all the appropriate moments and then went indoors to eat far too many chocolate cream marshmallows.