I sang at various services during the autumn and here’s a quick summary of some musical highlights.
Back in September Bath Abbey Chamber Choir introduced me to another setting of Ego sum panis vivus, this time by Palestrina. Later in the autumn I encountered Victoria’s Versa est in luctum which I had not done for a very long time, although I’d sung Alonso Lobo’s more famous setting a number of times. In the same service I sang Wood’s Latin Nunc Dimittis in B flat for the first time. It was written for Westminster Cathedral like Holst’s, but a year later. Wood is not a favourite of mine, but I did take to this setting.
Meanwhile Howells’ Collegium Regale Communion setting was our ‘go to’ setting for Eucharists this term. There was still a novelty for me, as in December we sang the Kyrie which I don’t recall having sung before.
Finally I was able to sing in the Advent carol service at Christ Church, which included Sol justitiae by Alec Roth, a composer whose work I’ve only ever sung at Christ Church Advent carol services. This piece set a Latin hymn written for use in Durham University. Oliver Tarney was a new composer to me; we sang his The Waiting Sky, appropriate to the season rather than being explicitly sacred.
I’ve omitted quite a few other pieces that I’ve sung a number of times before.