Pancakes and Penitence

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 07 March 2009 19:01:32

Two fairly straighforward services on Sunday ('Here O my Lord', Whitlock and 'My eyes for beauty pine' - Howells) with a 'spot the deliberate early entry' by the basses in the evening anthem. Fortunately they corrected the mistake smoothly, so only anyone knowing the anthem really well would have noticed. The highlight of the week was the celebrations around the start of Lent. As two years ago, I took myself off to Olney for their 'world-famous' Pancake race and Shriving Service. The racers, dressed in aprons and scarves, carryied their frying pans in procession while we sang hymns by Cowper and Newton from their Olney Hymn Book. A riveting sermon by a Baptist District Minister had the balance just right between humour and genuine penitence. The Ash Wednesday service at Northampton was in sumptuous surroundings but over-ambitious music (Allegri Miserere and Byrd's Mass in 4 voices), however again the sermon 'hit the spot'. It was a relief to return to the familiarity of our home church, to friends and our own well-worn pattern of life. Two favourite anthems completed the weekend - Herzliebster Jesu (Cruger) sung Full - Solo - Quartet - Full, and Stanford's 'O for a closer walk' with a good strong alto line supported by the vicar.