Passion Sunday

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 29 March 2004 09:45:05

A chance to sit back on Saturday evening and listen to someone else sing for a change. Several of our choristers, plus others, plus our organist-conductor, forming the South West Chamber Choir, with a programme of Lenten music: Allegri Miserere, Lotti Crucifixus, Franck Panis Angelicus, etc. Plus some delightful compositions with an early music flavour from our own in-house composer Brian Chapple. A wonderful evening set in the context of contemplative silence, highly appropriate for Lent.

And so to Sunday: normal service resumes. The extravagance of the Gospel reading (John 12) contrasts with the austerity of Lent, the promise of joy to come in the Psalm (126: When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion).
The morning anthem was 'Drop, Drop slow Tears' (Orlando Gibbons) - a delightfully simple but beautiful version. Followed by the haunting Adagio for Strings / Barber (aptly associated with the Agnus Dei) played softly on the organ. Knee-trembly stuff.

Evensong with much slaying and smiting of enemies (Psalm 35), however no real-time incitements to violence, and no ambulances had to be called. We sang the delightful hymn, 'My spirit longs for thee', where the last line of each verse becomes the first line of the next; and ended with, 'O happy band of pilgrims', causing much nostalgia amongst the older choristers and reminiscences of school assemblies.
The evening anthem was 'God so loved the world', by Stainer, sung quietly, building up to a crescendo on 'but have everlasting life' and then diminuendo to the end. Wonderful atmosphere - I cannot understand why people don't like Stainer, he can't help being Victorian.

The youth group (largely all choristers) stayed behind to spring-clean the church, or - most probably - have a huge duster-fight. No stray coins found this year, to their great disappointment; times must be hard.

The new choir photo is up - causing much criticism, laughter and wrinkling of faces. But still everyone signs up to buy a copy.....