The Quirky Things

We are now successfully loaded onto the Eurostar and Wee Alice and I have debunked to another cabin as ours appeared full. She seems happier here.

Chrissie: Is that right Alice?
Alice: YES

I thought I would take the opportunity to tell you about some of the quirks we have found in England.

Lincoln Cathedral has a role for the Eucharist called the Choir Nanny. This can be a man or a woman, and is someone dressed as a server who brings the choir into church and takes it to communion. ys
Choirs in Oxford Cathedral, in the bastion of academia, do not wear academic hoods to Evensong
Westminster Abbey does not allow photography, neither does Durham. Gloucester does, but at a cost of three pounds.However, Gloucester has a recommended donation (5 pounds) while Westminster has a compulsory charge of 18 pounds. Unless you are singing the service, or attending one.
Herbert Howells was not a tall man. He was 5'2", always immaculately dressed, with sharpened pencils lined up on the piano. When asked why he wrote the Gloucester Service in minims instead of crotchets he said "Minims are more holy".
There are increasing numbers of girls singing in Cathedrals these days. None of them seem to have our strict hair code. I don't think we plan to change our hair code after seeing theirs in action.

I hope to recall a few more quirks in coming days to amuse you.

Cxxx

Comments

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 w...

Hereford, where the sound rings for four seconds

Dear Reader I remember I loved Hereford Cathedral when we visited on the first tour in 2006. Today I remember why. The Cathedral is beautiful. The welcome is warm, both spiritually and physically - they have amazing heaters. Singing there is amazing. The acoustic is kind and supportive. Actually, it is exciting. The organ is stunning. Tonight we sang Evensong, with their Precentor canting. The Versicles and Responses were by June Nixon. We sang Roland Martin’s Buffalo Canticles, which we refer to as Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo. The anthem was Bob Chilcott’s Still, Still, Still. But the most significant sing was probably the psalms. Plural. We sang four of them 147-150. Ps 147 and Ps 148 were sung to different chants by Charles V Stanford. Ps 149 had an Edward Hopkins chant and Ps 150 was by Philip Marshall. Anthony Hunt is fond of saying the only thing better than a short psalm is a long psalm, and while some of the trebles may disagree, there are many of u...

Trees

Dear Reader There is something beautiful about trees in the snow. My initial feeling was that every photograph looked the same. Tall, straight trees with snow on them. Was there any point in taking more than one? But when I took the time to look more closely I noticed the differences. The beautiful and important differences. Most of them are straight and tall, but some are not. Some are bent, some are incomplete, as they have been cut down or damaged by the weather in some way. Yet they remain as a reminder of what has been. I wish I had thought to take more photographs of these. Some are evergreen, which means their strong, ever present branches and leaves bear a heavy weight of snow. I think they are probably pine trees, and they remain constant throughout the year. Some are deciduous, so their branches hold a lighter weight of snow and their twigs are more apparent. They change with the seasons, but return again each year. And...

Christine's Blog

Search This Blog