So how was Salisbury? Very hot, especially as we had to wear cassocks and surplices! I sang four services, 3 x Evensong and a communion service. It was nice to sing Howells’ Westminster canticles again as the only other time I have done them (6 years ago) I was losing my voice. I enjoyed doing them as my diet of Howells canticles seems mainly to be Coll Reg (which I don’t like singing) and Gloucester. Actually it was varied a few months ago by the New College Service at St. Paul’s Cathedral. My favourite Howells canticles though are the St. Paul’s service which I haven’t done in over a decade.
Other highlights included ‘For lo, I raise up’ by Stanford, the Balfour Gardiner Evening Hymn, and the Tomkins Fourth Service. And a couple of pieces new to me – ‘O salutaris’ by Villette and ‘Pris Herren’, the latter being in Norwegian, which adds to the languages I’ve sung in. (The conductor lives in Norway and a choir from his town, visiting England, sang one of the services jointly with us).