Skip to main content

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

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Abbey on a Sunday

Dear Reader Today we sang at Westminster Abbey. It was a thrill five years ago, and again a thrill today. Musical Menu up front: The day belonged to Jonathan Dove, musically speaking.  For the Eucharist we sang the Dove Missa Brevis sans Kyrie, the psalm appointed, three hymns and for the motet, the beautiful Gjielo Ubi Caritas . We were well received.  We fronted up again after a short sandwich lunch with Evensong. Stanford in G canticles, with Luca Shin and Andrew Chatterton as soloists, the psalm appointed, which was really quite long, and for the anthem, Dove’s The Three Kings , with Maxwell, Archie, Crystal and Henry doing the honours. And Hunt responses.  Dear Reader, Anthony Hunt wrote these responses in 2006 for our first tour, and they hold up well. They also herald the exciting future, when Anthony succeeds our dear Leonie Hempton as Director of Music.  Now, the sandwich lunch was one of those occasions when your tour leaders n...
6 comments
Read more

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...
10 comments
Read more

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...
1 comment
Read more