Sweden in Pictures

Dear Reader

Ten days in Sweden was just what I needed. Maggie and Matti were wonderful hosts and allowed me to balance getting out and about and seeing things in Uppsala with resting.

I hadn’t realised how tired I was until I got there. Pneumonia, Christmas, Choir Tour, Finland were all a part of it. So I had the opportunity to have home cooked meals, with a focus on Finnish and Swedish cuisine, long lie ins as well as adventures.

Our adventures included walking in the city, catching busses by myself, visiting castles, Cathedral’s, churches, libraries, university, botanical gardens and going out walking in the woods, around lakes and through forests.

I will let the photos do the talking.

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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. Yo...

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...

The big day in York

Dear Reader We are currently on the road to London via Windsor Castle. So I have time for an update about our big day yesterday. It was such a big day that I had my best night’s sleep last night, so was not awake to do my usual 5am blog post. This, Dear Reader, explains the concept of a Big Day for us. We are accustomed to singing two services on a Sunday, starting at 9:15am and finishing at 7:15pm. But we get a break for over 4 hours in between. Yesterday we started with a warm up and rehearsal at around 8:45am, then two services essentially back to back. We don’t sing Matins, apart from one attempt after a previous tour. Perhaps we could do a quarterly Matins, Ant?? Once a term? The choristers and Lay Clerks then get a two hour break before the next rehearsal at 2:30 for the 4pm Evensong. Matins has no sermon but both the Eucharists and Evensong in York had sermons, which were excellent. The observation for Epiphany that we, the Choir, were travellers from the East was notable....

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