Categories: uncategorized
Date: 31 October 2011 14:34:24
Friday was the funeral of a very special and long-serving Bass from our choir. Now there is only one person left in the choir from the time I first joined - just as well we have had many new members since, as I don't like singing solos or duets much. There was good representation from all parts at the funeral service and we gave our friend a good send-off with one of his favourite anthems, Mozart's 'Ave Verum Corpus'. Our choir master told us that one of the anthem books was missing, we think we know who was joining in....
Saturday was spent at St. Mary Redcliffe in Bristol, where the RSCM Cathedral Voices were singing evensong. It was good to hear Stanford in Bb again - we don't tend to sing it at our church, I'm not sure why, especially as we have a large tenor and bass section these days. Bairstow's 'Let all mortal flesh keep silence' had a very atmospheric start and finish - even the goths, assembling in the city centre ready to begin their ghoulish and gory halloween celebrations, would have been impressed.
Sunday celebrated all the saints, appropriately, with 'Give us the wings of faith' (Bullock). I didn't enjoy the voluntary so much, though. The title, 'Incantation pour un jour saint', was certainly appropriate for the occasion, but it hurt my ears with the loud, clashy chords. I don't think Langlais could have liked saints much.