Categories: uncategorized
Date: 05 November 2007 16:14:18
After a welcome holiday in Scotland, Northumberland and Yorkshire, it was time to return for some more singing. An All Souls' Eucharist took the place of choir practice on Friday, with Goodall's setting of Psalm 23 and 'Litany to the Holy Spirit' (Hurford) as the anthem. All the ginger cake had been eaten by the time I had got to the back of church, so I had to make do with syrup cake instead. I resolved to get changed faster next time.
The Sunday morning Eucharist was very much a baptism service - with a new vicar things were done slightly differently (less leaping out of pews for the baby and his parents, which in this case made for a quieter baby - I wonder whether that will continue to hold true) and the whole service was contained in a newly-printed booklet which made it much easier to remember where we had got to. The anthem, 'Hail Glorious Spirits' (Tye) was appreciated by at least one member of the congregation who complimented us over coffee. It's the sort of anthem where you start off at a brisk pace and it almost sings itself. It's just a pity that it is so short - Tye must have been in a rush for his gin or mead, or whatever after-church beverage they used to drink in those days.
A second service for the bereaved was scheduled for Sunday evening, entitled 'Lighten our Darkness'. I prefer this one as it is so different from a normal Sunday service, with readings from C.S.Lewis as well as the bible and the lighting of many individual tealights, each representing a person remembered, which are then placed in the form of a cross. There were several congregational hymns between the readings and the prayers; in addition the choir sang 'Hail gladdening Light' (Stainer) and 'Be still my soul' (Sibelius). Mindful of Friday's disappointment, I changed extra quickly to find that - yes - there was still plenty of ginger cake on the plate!