Categories: uncategorized
Date: 22 September 2008 15:45:37
No sooner were we back from our holidays than we were away again. Our new curate was ordained deacon, along with ten others, at Exeter Cathedral. This meant a week off from the choir, but the keen ones amongst us were listening and learning how the cathedral choir did things. There was a feast of music - 'Christus factus est', Anerio; 'View me Lord', Lloyd; 'O sacrum convivium', Tallis; and Caesar's Missa Brevis. In addition to the mass, there was a mish-mash of congregational music - several hymns plus Walker's Gloria, Farrell's Gospel Acclamation, and Lole's Litany. It was not really possible to listen to the organ music as there was too much background noise, but given the number of people in the cathedral - full to capacity - the service ran very smoothly indeed.
The following week was our Patronal Festival. Banners were lifted high, and a new altar cloth - red with the emblem of our patron saint - was blessed. Our new curate was introduced to the congregation and 'sworn in', with the vicar swearing revenge for the curate's team beating him at cricket the day before. There was a good upbeat feel to the service and a full church (with several Canadian visitors) so 'Rejoice in the Lord Alway', Anon, seemed a very fitting anthem.
After a traditional cream tea (for those who could bear to come in from the beautiful sunshine) the Festival Evensong provided a good ending to the day. There were some high notes for the sopranos and tenors in the Millington responses and Campbell's 'Praise to God in the highest' and correspondingly low notes in the Noble Mag and Nunc for the altos. Our choirmaster obviously believes in stretching us to our limits on these occasions. The Dean of the Cathedral paid a return visit to preach, showing off his cope with the same symbol of our patron saint into the bargain.
Although I missed the cream tea, there is still the other benefice church's Harvest Festival and Supper to look forward to tonight. If they are true to form it should be a magnificent sing followed by a magnificent spread.