And mother came too

Categories: uncategorized

Date: 15 November 2009 16:58:27

Perhaps we were all tired after our exhilarating RSCM area festival in Exeter Cathedral on Saturday, but I thought today's anthem, 'O for a closer walk with God' (Stanford) sounded rather uninspiring. We had to get used to a normal sized choir, filling a large parish church, rather than several hundred filling the cathedral. The Saturday Eucharist came at the end of the 1100th anniversary celebrations for Exeter Diocese. Music included Stanford's 'Coronation Gloria', the 'Agnus Dei' from Haydn's 'Little Organ Mass', Byrd's 'Ave Verum' (by the cathedral choir) and Morgan's 'Were you there?' (by combined church choirs). Three of our choristers were presented with awards - two Gold awards and the Mike Ball Shield for contribution to church music in the area, by a young person (under 18). The young man in question, a chorister and organ scholar, was busy with school commitments, so sent his mother along to collect the award instead. Mothers come in handy sometimes.