Category Archives: singing at services

Holy Week and Easter 2018

I missed singing the Good Friday service last year, but this year I was available for everything except Maundy Thursday. Palm Sunday included Peter Aston’s Hosanna to the Son of David, one of his more mediæval-influenced works, and Leighton’s Solus … Continue reading

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not on the front row

I joined the choir of St Peter’s Caversham to sing evensong at Bristol Cathedral. We were quite numerous so made 3 rows on each side, with me in one of the middle ones, which felt unusual in Cathedral choir stalls. … Continue reading

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BLOOD on my back

Not as bad as it sounds. Some of our church choir were part of a group singing carols at Sainsbury’s in Chippenham in aid of the Freewheelers, popularly known as the ‘Blood Bikes’, volunteer bikers who transport blood supplies to … Continue reading

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I had that Barry Rose in the back of my congregation once….

This happened to me once before, quite recently. This time the occasion was a memorial service at church for Martin, who sang in the choir until a couple of years ago. Martin was musically well connected (he’d been a recording … Continue reading

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how to commemorate 370 people

I sang Fauré’s Requiem at an All Souls’ Day service and was told afterwards that some 370 of the faithful departed had been commemorated by name at it. All Souls’ Day does seem to have caught on in the Church … Continue reading

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a rub from Pangur

This autumn seems relatively empty musically. I think this is partly in comparison with last autumn which was exceptionally busy, with three concerts over and above what I’d usually do. By contrast, this year there is one event fewer, because … Continue reading

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the season begins

I don’t normally have much of a ‘close season’ for singing. Erleigh Cantors at the end of July are followed by Cathedral Chamber Choir towards the end of August, and then church choir and Bristol Choral resume in the first … Continue reading

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Bax and Josquin in St Davids

The Erleigh Cantors started out doing day-trips from Reading but have gradually ventured further afield. St David’s was definitely the furthest we’d been, though there are rumours that the choir’s next step might be to conquer the North. And then … Continue reading

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avoiding the Prayer Fayre

The Cathedral Chamber Choir sang at Wells Cathedral for the weekend of Trinity Sunday. Well, sort of, as on the Sunday afternoon we made way for a ‘prayer fayre’ in the Cathedral and decamped to St Cuthbert’s Church, together with … Continue reading

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three more funerals in May

I sang at four in all this month. I have already mentioned the first – the second was that of an old friend back in Cambridge. We sang Byrd’s four-part Mass, and I heard a voice from heaven by Tomkins, … Continue reading

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