Categories: uncategorized
Date: 11 May 2008 12:47:52
I can't decide whether the anthem 'Veni sancte spiritus' (Harper) is incredibly atmospheric or incredibly boring. I guess the difference is in the expression, which we probably didn't pay enough attention to last week.
'Tavistock Sings!' (the town's music festival) came to an end last weekend with a Festival Evensong in church, attended by guest preacher the Revd Canon Perran Gay, Precentor of Truro Cathedral. We sang the Sweeney responses, Brewer's Mag. and Nunc. and one of my favourite anthems, 'Locus Iste' (Bruckner).
I much preferred the evening organ voluntary ('Grand Choeur in D', Guilmant) to this morning's offering ('Transports de joie', Messiaen), which was painful on the ears.
This Saturday saw us in Exeter Cathedral for another RSCM event (there haven't been any for ages and then two come along at once). It was a pleasure to sing Evensong with the cathedral choirs: good old Stanford in C, with the anthems: Listen Sweet Dove (Ives) as an introit, and 'The Spirit of the Lord' (Elgar). Most of the choristers had not sung the Elgar before, so we were very glad of a confident lead from the young professionals.