Categories: uncategorized
Date: 30 December 2007 21:51:44
The choirmaster didn't expect many choristers to turn up today as his phone had been busy all week with apologies (away visiting family, dreaded lurgy, etc.). In the end we had six for the morning Eucharist with Baptism - three altos, two tenors and one bass. We processed the short (Evensong) way and all sat on one side of the choir stalls. We chickened out of singing the anthem (probably just as well as 'the Coventry carol' is not very appropriate for baptisms!) and sang the Mass setting (Thorne) in unison. However, as the congregation are very confident at singing carols, we allowed ourselves the luxury of singing ATB in most of the verses. It was worth staying for coffee this morning, as there were luxury shortbread biscuits instead of the usual plainer ones. Anyone would think it was Christmas, or something......
Another alto was press-ganged into joining us for the evening carol service at our daughter church, a little rural church with a small congregation who love us to join them for their big occasions. The crib had an intriguing mix of wooden and knitted characters, with a tiny china baby Jesus. Chunky white candles set in painted tin cans (I'm not sure whose selfless devotion led to the devouring of all the baked beans and lager) lit up the interior and the enticing scent of home-made mince pies and mulled wine filled the air as we sang. There were six lessons and nine carols - all well-known. We jiggled about with the parts to provide full four-part harmony throughout and invited the congregation to join in the choir-only items, which they did with gusto. Boy, did we need that mulled wine at the end!