Christine's Blog

Dear Reader We are halfway home in terms of time and more than half way in flying distance. The Gang of Twenty (Letters A-T for Sound Off) left Rome yesterday lunchtime and arrived in Kuala Lumpur early this morning KL time. Our rooms in the Pan Pacific Hotel were not available so we were offered complimentary breakfast. What a spread! Traditional English, Indian and Chinese Malay, Continental, fresh fruit etc etc. Gradually over the next couple of hours the rooms became available, and we are all installed now for our rest before finishing our journey home. The swimming pool is proving popular and I may even venture poolwards in a minute as it is quite beautiful. Anyway, we get free, if not slow, internet, so I will upload the photos John Campbell gave me from the Vatican event. Thanks John. Concert at St Paul Outside the Walls Lining up at our accommodation Coming along our street Beside the Vatican Walls Processing in the Piazza Rehearsing O Bone Jesu ...

...was MAGNIFICO We processed from the hotel in two lines. It was a good 15-20 minutes walk and we attracted considerable attention. Once we had arrived at the meeting place in the Piazza in front of the Basilica we were due to be met by Charli our guide. She was not there. We were early. So we did what we do best. We sang. Away in a Manger first, followed by our rehearsal of Anerio's O Bone Jesu which we were due to sing in the service and had not yet rehearsed, and a rendition of Waltzing Matilda. It was our best attended performance of the whole tour. There will be better pictures than mine as I only had a pocket camera. Thereafter we made our way, in procession into the Vatican. We had to wait for some time once we had arrived as we were 50 minutes early and not allowed to practise. There were two blokes who kept fussing around Josh and the organ. One was an organist and the other was the Head of Music for the Vatican. The latter was very, very impressed with Josh. He ...

The winner of the sonnet competition was announced tonight at the final tour dinner. I think you will agree that this is a very worthy winner... Nor stone, nor mortar, vault nor grand rampart Shall e'er suffice to one cathedral make. For what have these to do that moves the heart, Save build the outer for the inner's sake? The soul may not be moved by soaring arcs, And columns high may touch us not the least, But human love and human words leave marks - The echo of the soft voice of the priest. The walls of brick and dust become imbued By human watch and keep, so long sustained With our devotion, such that words elude - A timeless link that binds us, long ingrained. But music, hanging in some lofty space, Must surely speak: "This is a holy place." - Robin Parkin And, Dear Reader, I got a Runner Up Award for "Ode to the crates" One rainy Portsmouth day, when coach exchanged For smaller bus, post breakdown of the first. The luggage mo...

I've just returned from Santa Maria Maggiore with the seven cases and Alison. This is the last time that we will have to do the trip to a venue with the robe cases *sighs with desperate relief*. We were well received by the small audience (over and above the Tag Alongs, who have been very, very supportive in coming to listen to us rather than see sights/shop etc). The audience may have changed over the course of the concert, as people came and went, but there were three priests who stayed for the duration, one Fr Samuel from the USA and another who may have been English from the sound of his English and Italian introductions to us. Fr Samuel and the crew at Santa Maria were very helpful in getting us in and out of the venue with all the cases. But I have no photos. I was just too busy. I will see if there is anyone else who can give me a couple to upload. This afternoon we are meeting at 3pm to get robed at the hotel, then walk to the Vatican in full dress, as it is just too ha...

There were several musical moments I forgot yesterday... Breakfast Group 2, consisting largely of senior trebles, Lay Clerks, the Boss and Josh, and our Guide Charli had another Locus Iste  moment in the Catacombs, in an area 12 metres below the surface set aside as a chapel. The acoustic was not extraordinary but the emotion was. The musical menu for Mass last night was Bruckner's Locus Iste  as an introit, the Palestrina Missa Brevis Kyrie, Sanctus, Benedictus and both Agnus Dei, Gabrielli's Beata es Virgo for the Offertory, Byrd's Ave Verum Corpus for the communion and Mathias Laetentur Coeli for the recessional. Gotta fly - busy last day coming up. Cxxx

That is today in a nutshell... or rather a few nutshells. Am WEARY right now at 1145pm. So this will be quick. We went out to the Catacombs today which was an interesting experience indeed. Give me a home among the gum trees... Australian Fr Anthony showed us around Thereafter we headed to the All Saints Anglican Church to rehearse for a couple of hours. Thence to Santa Maria Maggiore where we sang the 6pm Mass. I had gone by cab to the rehearsal and from rehearsal to Santa Maria, seven cases, two people, 20 Euros. So I argued with the cabbies afterwards who wanted to put us in 2 cabs. I won. Longest ride today and he only wanted 19 Euros! Nick Iles before Mass and before he found out that his  missing suitcase should arrive tonight or tomorrow. His Excellency, Tim Fischer, Australian Ambassador to the Holy See, came to Mass tonight, as did Margie Richardson. David was in Canterbury. Tim Fischer is such a lovely, genuine, welcoming man. And SO tall. He looked ...

At the Palace St Paul's Miss Alice gets down and dances at at St Paul's Westminster Abbey... Roof of the Lady Chapel Prince of Wales' stall JOSHUA!!!! Elizabeth I Mary Queen of Scots Thirteen words about Auden say so much GF Handel Christopher with 14th Century St Christopher The Quire For Deans and Queens. The Sovreign's Stall Her cushion Our guide, Ben at Isaac Newton No surprises as to to who was found kneeling in homage to Howells Just post Locus Iste moment With Peter Borthwick at the Abbey Bit blurry, but the only one I have of me with Guy Lipman