Categories: uncategorized
Date: 07 May 2012 16:42:51
Contrary to the popular image of church choirs, ours seems to be growing like topsy at the moment. We welcomed back two former choristers (who had moved away and then retired back to the area), and two new choristers (a young mother, re-emerging from the demands of toddlerhood, and a former Millenium Youth Choir singer, now in need of a new choir); also a former cathedral chorister, here temporarily while visiting friends. We ran out of hymn books and copies of the psalm, but we just about managed to find enough choir robes, due to some absentees. The anthem, 'O taste and see' (Vaughan Williams), sounded much more confident with the extra voices, and we remembered to sing it smoothly, just like our choirmaster prefers.
Festival Evensong gave us a feast of music - the Rose responses, Stanford in C canticles, and 'Zadok the Priest' (Handel), with Elgar's 'Imperial March' as the voluntary. Apart from the Stanford Magnificat sounding scarily out of tune at the start, we sang well, and tried to live up to the visiting preacher's expectations (not singing too many 'forrevers' in the Zadok).
The Musical Feast continued after Evensong with a concert by the Haldon Quartet plus clarinettist Colin Parr. They played with exquisite delicacy (Mozart / Arnold / Brahms), sitting raised on a stage so we could all see their mastery of the instruments. Our choirmaster remarked that we should hire them to accompany us on a subsequent Festival occasion.