Tag: Choral Evensong

• Introit – Chorister’s Prayer, Harper
• Preces and Responses – Sumsion
• Psalm 132
• Canticles – Brewer in D
• Anthem – Ave Maria, Parsons

We had a full hour’s break between the second Eucharist and the rehearsal for our final evensong – just enough time to go to the Cathedral Refectory and enjoy a jacket potato with cheese (a meal which I have come to associate with choir trips and cathedral refectories) and listen to some of the recordings from evensong earlier in the week.

There’s something sad about lining up in the choir vestry for the final time.  The psalm was shorter than any we’d sung earlier in the week, the reading weren’t so long, and before we knew it, we were raising the quire roof with the last hymn, and processing out for the last time.  On the positive side, we were very heartily thanked by the Dean for our singing during the week, and invited to come back again in the future.

Now, the long wait until we find out where next year’s trip will be.

• Introit – Prayer of King Henry VI, Henry Ley
• Preces and Responses – Morland Responses, Graham Ellis
• Psalms 73 and 74
• Canticles – St Andrew’s Service, Peter Aston
• Anthem – Blessed be the God and Father, S. S. Wesley

So, yesterday I moved over to cantoris (and thus second alto) for the second half of the week.  Today, we ended up having a reshuffle, and I found myself back on decani (first alto) again.  It didn’t make too much difference in today’s service, though I got caught out a couple times in the canticles, but it does mean that I’ll have to be on my toes tomorrow when we’re singing quite a bit of music with two alto lines (some of which I’ll now be sight reading).

With 3 services tomorrow, we didn’t have much free time today, but I did manage to take a few more photos, including this one of the organ.

• Preces and Responses – Tomkins
• Psalms – 69 and 70
• Canticles – Weelkes First Service
• Anthem – I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, Tomkins

This evening’s service was the one I’ve been panicking about for the last 2 days. I had two solos – in the canticles (this was the scary, very exposed, miss the viols first chord and you’ve had it, one) and the other in the anthem (which was part of a quartet, and seemed pretty unintimidating in comparison).  Because we were singing with the viol consort today, we had some extra work trying to figure out how best to organize ourselves in the service.  In the end, the soloists had to do the walk of terror down the aisle and stand in a little huddle near the viols.  It was rather scary, but really was much easier to sing that way, and the end result was much better.

In the end, the service did have more than its fair share of dodgy moments, but my solos went as well as could be expected, considering how nervous I get.   Now I can relax a bit before tomorrow’s service, and try to regain some energy before the marathon sing on Sunday.

I’ll leave you with this picture of Anna and myself.  Despite the fact that we’re wearing different colour robes, we do actually come from the same choir, in Amsterdam.

• Introit – God be in my head, Nicholson
• Preces and Responses – Grayston Ives
• Psalms – 59, 60, 61
• Canticles – Sumsion in G
• Anthem – Hail Gladdening Light, Wood

A long day today and I think we’re all ready for our day off tomorrow.  On Friday the fun really starts as we’ll be half the way through the week, but with 5 out of the 8 services to sing, in the remaining 3 days.

Our group of singers is beginning to come together a bit more today.  At the moment we have 23 singers, from about 10 different choirs, and 4 different countries.  Later on in the week, our numbers will swell yet further as the last singers arrive.

• Preces and Responses – Morland Responses, Ellis
• Psalms – 53, 54, 55
• Canticles – Walmisley in D Minor
• Anthem – Geistliches Lied, Brahms

Somewhat unnerving to find out after the fact that both Graham Ellis, the composer of the responses, and Andrew Carter, composer of yesterday’s anthem, were in the congregation, as were my own personal fan club of Mum, Dad, Auntie Jane and Uncle Tim, who have come and supported every year.

It’s time again for the annual ECS cathedral trip, this year to Chester Cathedral.  The Song School, where we rehearse is modern and spacious, and equipped with two rehearsal rooms, as well as a little kitchenette.  The cathedral itself is much smaller than many we’ve sung in, and after singing in York and Lincoln the past two years, it’s a bit strange to be singing in such small, and close choir stalls.

• Preces and Responses – Grayston Ives
• Psalms 47,48,49
• Canticles – Wood in E flat
• Anthem – God is Love, Andrew Carter