nightingales in Plymouth

We sang about these in Paul Gerhardt’s hymn Geh aus, mein Herz during an Anglo-German wedding we were guests at recently. (Sadly, the ornithological reality is that they are not to be found within about 200 miles of the city.) The music for the four hymns was printed in the order of service (not always in the keys it was played in). There wasn’t a choir, so the singers among the guests had to give a lead and work out where the other singers in the congregation were. The bride and groom had met in the string section of an orchestra and a string orchestra of wedding guests was assembled at the reception.

A few weeks ago there was another wedding at my church with an unusually large music requirement: three anthems (including Parry’s I was glad) and no fewer than five hymns. We really earned our £20!

Both made a pleasant change from the rather dull unison fare which choirs and congregations generally get offered at weddings now.

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