Today I joined the choir of St. Peter’s Church, Caversham, for evensong at Bristol Cathedral. Our anthem was Let the people praise thee O God by Mathias, and this set some of us wondering who might be writing music for the forthcoming royal wedding. Like the designer of the dress, this information hasn’t been made public yet. I wonder if it will produce a piece that will still have a place in the repertory thirty years later, as Mathias’ has? It would be nice to think so.
Our introit was (not very surprisingly) When to the Temple Mary went by Eccard and the canticles Walmisley in D minor. The responses were Radcliffe’s, written in 1972. Were these the last to set ‘praised’ as two syllables?
A combination of a large choir and short stalls meant that unusually I was not in the front row, so a bit more work was needed to watch the conductor. And this was the first time since a a very hot 2003 that I have worn a surplice to sing a service, and I think possibly only the second time I have ever done so.