Categories: uncategorized
Date: 25 April 2011 19:55:10
Our guest speaker for Holy Week was the Archdeacon of Plymouth - we enjoyed his short talks at Compline during the week as well as further thoughts on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. I expect he then went home and collapsed in a heap, being fed Easter Eggs through intravenous drip. Five new choristers were made full members at the Easter Day Eucharist, after which many cute photos of the young choir members (and many lens-breaking photos of the older members) were taken for the choir album. The lively, but rather hackneyed 'This Joyful Eastertide' (Wood) was sung during the administration - it was far too short as the church was packed, so we gave our voices a rest while the deputy organist played a medley of meditative organ music. We processed out to the 'Hallelujah Chorus' (Handel), strongly resisting the temptation to join in, at least until we reached the vestry. There we feasted on chocolates which magically appeared like manna from heaven. The choir was much boosted by former choristers returning for the holidays - we were down to the last surplice, so it was just as well no unexpected visitors turned up, as has sometimes been known. Evensong was much quieter, with only about 30 in the congregation, although the choir was still large. The Smith responses, Stanford in C canticles and 'Let all the world' (Vaughan Williams) were sung with gusto and a resounding organ voluntary (Litanies - Alain) ended our Easter celebration with a flourish.