Skip to main content

Intrepid Blogging

Dear Reader

I have ventured out of the Premier Inn and into the heart of Coventry. A quick purchase of a black jumper at Marks and Spencer (a habit of mine when in the UK) and a bath bomb from Lush for later tonight, along with lots of walking on my own led me here to the Golden Cross, a beautiful old pub which specialises in catering for coeliacs. Everything on the menu is suitable. It was the outside that drew me in. While I was hoping for a wood fire I have had to settle for an armchair next to the heater.

I’m imbibing of a wine which has travelled further than me, from New Zealand, and waiting for my plum and apple oat crumble, also gluten free.  Which just arrived.






You see, Dear Reader, we have been fed so well that I thought today I would follow up breakfast with dinner. However, coming in here for a libation meant I read their menu, and the crumble spoke to me. Very loudly.

In about an hour the Lay Clerks will gather at the liturgical West Door (like us, it does not face west), for our preparations for Evensong. Tonight we will sing the Bach introit, Ives Magdalen service and the Byrd Surge once more, along with the appointed psalm.

About the psalms. If I were a better blogger you would have a list of each of them, but I am just not that organised. Unlike Andrew and James who are well organised and have provided each of us with a touring Psalter which contains, in sequence, every psalm, many hymns and a number of local peculiarities, such as the Coventry Suffrages which we sang last night. This makes our task much easier, especially as the music list for each service is written on the back page.

I apologise to those of you eagerly awaiting a report about our tour of Coventry Cathedral. That will have its own post when I have time to devote. It will take time, as it was so very moving. Maybe not tonight, as I have planned a small tidying party in my room tonight. You see, after tonight we have only one more service, so we will load up our black folders as the trebles did last evening then sort the rest of the music into sets, to assist the Music Faeries on return of the seven robes and music cases. The cases have mainly held up, although Mr Byrd lost a wheel at Westminster and needed to be replaced, and Mr Howells is looking a little the worst for wear in the wheel department. Wheelie cases are not designed for cobblestone streets.

Well, enough for now. I will add the photos and sign off.

Cxx

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Big One, St Paul’s

  Dear Reader Today was the Big Event of tour. St Paul’s Cathedral, London. If you are observant, you will notice my absence from the photo above, along with several of my colleagues. Sadly, this happened.  After nearly four years and six vaccinations I finally succumbed to the dreaded Covid. At the worst possible time. My multiple vax status has meant I only feel a bit rotten, like a cold, but I do feel sad to have missed the day. And to miss Windsor tomorrow. I was grateful for the considered medical advice provided by Dr Ritesh, father of one of the trebles, who also updated my supply of paracetamol and ibuprofen.  So I am relying on others for the report about this special day.  The good bits started with four of the young Lay Clerks heading to St Paul’s for singing lessons with my friend Patrick Craig, who is an Alto Lay Vicar at St Paul. In have yet to hear from Nicholas, Marco, Charlie or James, but Patrick was very complimentary about their singing. This is what he said: Such a

And now the deadline is hours away...

Dear Reader! What an amazing fortnight we have had! We have rehearsed every Saturday as well as Friday. And sung on Sundays.  We travelled to Victor Harbour to sing to a capacity congregation for Lessons and Carols. Yamba had a ball.  We have done our Christmas Rounds - Lessons and Carols, Midnight Mass and Christmas Day. Precious Lillian was privileged (and rather nervous) to bring the sweet Baby Jesus into the Cathedral at Midnight Mass. She performed her duties beautifully. Zoom in to the second picture and you can see just how wonderful she was.  And now there are bags of robes and music in my front room, ready for the 6:45am departure.  Dear Reader, Please remember us in your thoughts and/or your prayers (whatever works for you) as we prepare for this big adventure.  Off we go. Christine 💖

Worcester - that’s a wrap

  Dear Reader Well, that’s a wrap. After a free morning to shop, skate, scoff scones or the like, we boarded the coach to Worcester. Annabel Crompton continued the proud tradition set by her late father, the beloved Prof David Thomas, and shared history and interesting information about the Cathedral, always including the South Australian connections. We had a very warm welcome from the Interim Dean, Canon Stephen, and Anita the Virger. On the musical menu was Hunt Versicles and Responses, Howells in G Canticles and Be Present O Merciful God  by Australian composer, Owen Elsley. I thought the Anthem went particularly well. We sang two psalms, 131 to a Willcocks chant and 132 to a chant by a random (will update later). Turns out the second chant was by Richard Massey. David played a beautiful postlude, Rhapsody by Daniel Cook (b1979). When we arrived in Worcester it lived up to the reputation England has for wet and rather miserable weather, so we headed straight into the building out o