Southwell Choir Week
Whilst the choir and
organist are away during summer Sundays, they are not just sitting around
listening to Alistair Cooke as the bells of All Saints softly ring for
the Parish Communion in the distance, whilst pondering the relative
merits of fried egg, toast and a Sunday lay-in (that is of course the
choir, not the bells!)
We
were, in fact several miles to the north in Southwell;
a town in many ways like many other but for its splendid
Minster. The Minster, which is the Cathedral
Church of its Diocese, has
a choral tradition which has spanned many centuries. The present choir
of men and boys sings around eight choral services each week throughout
the year. This August, it was our turn to sing the daily evening office
of the Anglican Church in the beautiful setting of the Minster choir.
This we started with great expectations, our organist Nick Brown arrived
with the gate of a seasoned maestro, played mellifluously then departed
speedily under the direction of the local doctor who, whilst not calling
immediately for the undertakers, did suggest that he stay in bed for
the rest of the week!
Your Director of Music
was not to be put out by this minor near- disaster and enlisted the
help of the Church-at-the-other-end-of- Wokingham whilst getting
on with the business of accompanying the choir; the, Dean of the Minster
remarking one evening, that 'I
think she has got the hang of this organ!' Praise
indeed.
A hard week of
rehearsing and performing brought its own rewards both personally and
as a choir. We were presented with a framed picture of the Minster by
the Dean (which must surely be a rarity!) and a just as well framed
image of our very own Victor taking 40 winks in the sun on the grass
below the Minster Tower
as we gazed down on him from the top of it. The evidence is in the post
...
Katharina Pohl
