Categories: uncategorized
Date: 11 October 2012 16:02:00
Had a delightful weekend at Grimsby Minster and Lincoln Cathedral, courtesy of the Friends of Cathedral Music. Grimsby Minster, the only parish church to have their own choir school, were very impressive, with only 8 boys on the top line (3 of whom were probationers) and 6 on the back row. Their unaccompanied singing was exquisite, though sometimes drowned when the organ was played - by one of the lay clerks. (Radcliffe Responses, Statham in E minor, Munday's O Lord the maker of all things.)
Lincoln's greater resources ensured confident singing (although not always with equal effort from all participants) - Saturday Evensong was sung by the combined girls' and boys' choirs, plus back row - unusually with a female alto (Byrd responses, Howells Gloucester Service, Brahms: Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen), Sunday's Choral Mattins by the boys and men (Byrd responses, Howells Coll. Reg. Te Deum, Handel: Since by man came death), and Choral Evensong by the girls and men (Tomkins responses, Jackson in G, Elgar: Great is the Lord). Impressive resources both at the school, where we were treated to a concert, and at the cathedral (three organists, although the Director of Music was unfortunately ill), with a very competent informal men's choir (Lincs Effect) who entertained us at dinner, ensured that we had an extremely full, and enjoyable weekend.