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December 22, 2003
Musical musings
Last Wednesday evening I partook of my annual treat, this time with a friend, recently returned to the UK, who has not heretofore had the opportunity to indulge in this feast of aural pleasure.
We went to hear the St Cecilia Singers (also known as the choir of Coventry Cathedral) and the English Symphony Orchestra sing and perform the Messiah by our old friend Georg Frederick Handel in the confines of the Abbey Church of St Mary the Virgin, Tewkesbury. The 900 year old walls of Caen stone rang to the glorious voices, the solo trumpet and the swell of the orchestra, transporting us to the realms of the sensual feast, which is Handel performed in its proper setting by a group the size of which reflects the music as written. Stunning! And I'll be there again next year - if I am spared another year.
Last night I was treated again to some fantastic music when our own Abbey choir performed a range of Christmas music in our annual carol service. This takes a similar form to the familiar nine lessons and carols, but with a major difference, the readings come in pairs, one scriptural and the other a related piece from either a poem or another work of prose. Thus we have scripture mixed with Elliot, Auden, Kipling and others. In between we have the congregational carols and choir only pieces. Last night, the choral selection was fantastic - and makes me wish I could have recorded some of it and put it up on the blog! Some old, some new, some spirituals from the US, some African and all in the Abbey setting where the stones themselves seem to sing in harmony with the voices and instruments. Despite the cold - it was down to -2*C outside and not much above 10*C inside - we had a full nave (about 600 seats) and more in the Quire seats in the Presbytery.
I am fortunate to be able to enjoy this feast of music season by season and week on week as part of the worshipping life of the Abbey congregations. I have oftebn reflected that, had there been no God, no church, then we would have had to invent them in order to enjoy music in these settings. Thank God we have both.
Posted by The Gray Monk at December 22, 2003 04:29 PM
Comments
What is a "Quire" seat? Is that like an old english term for choir? As for the weather - you can always pull on another jumper to stay warm - there is a limit as to how much you can take off when you want to be cool.
Posted by: Ozguru at December 23, 2003 12:01 AM
Yup, it's a quaint "Olde Englishe" term used to differentiate the part of the church used by the choir as opposed to that used by the clergy (Presbytery) and the congregation (nave)from anything else!
Ah, but a cold bath can also be deployed - a warm bath rapidly becomes a cold one here!
Posted by: The Gray Monk at December 23, 2003 10:29 PM
I agree with you wholeheartedly..Yes, thank God we have both music and church. Ellis Peters says; "'Blessed be the human condition,' thought Brother Cadfael, 'Which allows us marred and falliable creatures who are niether angels nor children to make sounds like these, that belong in another world. Unlooked for mercies, undeserved grace!'"
Posted by: Sarah at January 8, 2004 04:39 AM