Salisbury Number One

 Dear Reader

After our stop at Stonehenge we headed off to Salisbury, with a couple of hours before checkin. Not much is open on New Year’s Day in Salisbury. 

Some ventured into the main streets, but a number of us found our way to The New Inn, where we had a relaxed lunch.  

Some of us then sat on old Chesterfield lounges in The Oak Room and watched a couple of young lads play pool. It was a small room requiring us to duck at times to avoid a pool cue to the head.

Then we checked into the White Hart Inn, described as an elegant Georgian building. There are two main staircases to the rooms, all located on the first and second floors. And no lifts. Despite this we all settled in quickly before the Choristers headed off to the Cathedral with robes and music in tow. The weather had set in, and remained for the rest of the day. 

We practised in the stalls which are beautiful. 

The sound feels very different from the other cathedrals where we have sung this week. You don’t hear much back, so to me it feels immediate. The Real Musicians describe it as dry (which is in direct contrast to the weather outside). 

We will be singing the Philip Radcliffe Versicles and Responses for three services in Salisbury - they have a set list from which to choose. Radcliffe are relatively new for us, and rather nice. Although there were some wags who suggested they should have been used in Harry Potter territory in Gloucester. 

The psalm set for the day was apparently 115, but for some reason we had prepared Ps 6, with two chants, the first by Samuel Wesley and the second by someone else (forgot to take note). It is perhaps worth pausing here to let you know about our tour psalter. It has been lovingly prepared, individually named, and includes, in order, all psalms, hymns and other incidental music required for all of our services. And it has an index on the front. Notwithstanding the mixup, I think it went very well. 

We sang the Buffalo Canticles and Chilcott’s Still, Still, Still for the anthem. 

Dear Reader, one of the things I have been looking forward to seeing the most is the Salisbury Font installed in 2008. I fell in love with it on New Year’s Eve 2011 when we were last here. Expect more photos - this was one taken quickly as they were closing the Cathedral. And wait until you see their new Nave Altar. 

There has been quite a bit of sharing of photographs. Here are two of my favourites. The first comes from Canon Jenny, and is from Gloucester, and the second is the 32 foot Christmas tree in Salisbury courtesy of Michael Bloyce. 

It has just gone 6:15am here. I don’t think it is so much jet lag as a new habit of going to sleep earlier than usual and waking earlier. It has given me the chance to update you all about what we are doing. Also, it is impossible to get back to sleep with significant earworms, which have included The Gallery Carol, Still, Still, Still, Buffalo Nunc Dimittis, Nova Nova and Lo there is Light. 

Today we will have a tour of the Cathedral and sing the second of our four Evensongs. 

Stay tuned,

Cxx