Sunday in Gloucester

 Dear Reader

We have now completed our first Sunday for tour, These are busy days as we sing more than once. In Gloucester we sang for the Eucharist and Evensong services. 

It was an early start getting the robes and music across to the Cathedral, ready for a warm up in the beautiful Chapter House. Even with the new carpet the acoustic was great. 

Following this we headed off to the Nave Choir stalls, where the Trebles did an amazing job in not fiddling with the decorations. The Cathedral was surprisingly busy for a Low Sunday, and they were running around looking for extra notice sheets. There was a moment reminiscent of our experiences at home when a man became vocal during just before the Sanctus. Our singing seemed to soothe him as he stopped after that. 

We sang the Katherine Dienes-Williams St Paul’s Wellington mass, sans Kyrie. There was also no psalm. The motet was Matthew Orlovich’s Lo, There is Light. This piece combines the text from the hymn Brightest and Best with words from a Banjo Paterson poem. It is great to be able to bring music and lyrics from our hemisphere. There were four hymns.  Right now I remember O Come, all ye Faithful and In the Bleak Midwinter. I’ll add the others later. David finished the service with Mulet’s Carillon-Sortie. 

Our offering was very well received. Two priests, Molly and Hannah, from the diocese attended incognito and were very complimentary, adding that we were much better than a lot of the visiting choirs they had experienced. Molly, who is an alto, particularly liked the Agnus Dei with its excellent alto beginning. 

After a little free time to explore the Cathedral again and have a quick lunch at The Cosy Pew the Lay Clerks fronted up to sing again. 

This time it was Hunt Canticles for ATB, which includes some high notes for the Real Sopranos.  It being Saturday, we sang an introit, Nesciens Mater by Thomas Byttering, an English composer from the 15th century. Psalm 148 appeared again with a chant by Henry Harding. The anthem was Anthony’s There is a Balm in Gilead.  One hymn finished the service, Lord for the Years. David’s postlude was JS Bach’s BWV 614 Das alte Jahr vergangen ist, which is the traditional Bach prelude for New Year’s Eve. 

One of the nice things about going back to the Cathedral was the opportunity to take more time to see things I missed on the first day when we had just landed. 

But really, it is the Cloister shots at Gloucester that have been the most fun. 

We had dinner together in an Italian restaurant, with many having plans to see in the New Year. In the end it seems quite a few of us ended up enjoying an early night.

Right now we are heading to Salisbury via Stonehenge.

Before signing off, I want to wish you, Dear Reader, a very Happy New Year. May 2024 be a year of health, happiness and peace, spent in the company of those you love.

Cxx