How shall I keep from singing?

After an hour singing carols – and avoiding the Norwalk virus – at the local hospital, I managed to stay awake until Midnight Mass, no mean feat after all that chocolate and mince pies. Midnight Mass was crowded and candlelit, providing a great atmosphere as well as an anxious moment as the ivy around one of the candles caught alight. Quick action from one of the tenors saved the day……
No anthem at Midnight Mass – traditionally the handbell ringers ring changes, rather well, followed by some beautiful arrangements of christmas carols on the organ. And a chance for the choir to relax for once. ‘Yea Lord we greet thee, born this happy morning’ was sung immediately after midnight – what perfect timing!

Christmas morning saw the church surprisingly full – presumably most people were not the same ones as had attended at midnight. The anthem was the carol ‘The Infant King’, marred only by the urgent departure of one of the male members of the congregation just as we were starting the final verse, pushing roughly past the choirmaster and some of the sopranos. Whether he didn’t like our singing, or the frequent mention of dying and death in the anthem, or whether his overindulgence had suddenly caught up with him, we never found out.

Unfortunately, there were not so many in the congregation, or in the front row of the choirstalls the next day (do we call it Boxing Day when it falls on a Sunday?), so ‘Away in a Manger’ (arranged Willcocks) was understandaby muted and there were no descants. But with fewer choirmembers, there were lots of chocolates in the vestry to go round, so life wasn’t all bad. Now we get a whole week off!

A quiet morning service – maybe everyone is saving their energy for this evening. The tallest young chorister was needed to light the Advent 4 candle, almost at the top of the pulpit. ‘Mary, mother of our Lord’ was sung, and the anthem was ‘Ave Maria’ by Arcadelt. And very lovely it sounded, too…… Advent 4 sees our church come closest to (what is seen as) veneration of Mary, something which gets the less liturgically-driven churches so upset.

The ‘Lessons and Carols’ service this year was a corker. Something about on-the-night nerves seems to make everyone ultra-conscious of phrasing and dynamics and heightens our concentration. A full church also helps and it was encouraging to get so many positive comments at the end. Maybe if the visitors decide they like the choir singing they might come back again on an ordinary Sunday and some of the more musically minded might want to join the choir. Time will tell…….

Choir items were: Adam lay ybounden (Ord), A virgin most pure (Eng. Trad.), In dulci jubilo (Old German), Gabriel’s Message (Basque), A boy is born (Downing – a local composer), Torches (Joubert) and The Three Kings (Cornelius). Plus the usual traditional readings and a good old carol-sing by all.

After the concentration of the early evening, a wonderful party at the home of two sopranos – with mulled wine, crackers, wonderful food and a silly party game. All very relaxing.

The vicar’s wife refused to allow him to wear pink – well that was his excuse. And so the third advent candle was lit.
Every year I wonder if our choirmaster will shock us by announcing that we are to sing the Steeleye Span version of Gaudete. But every year I am disappointed. Instead we sang an old faithful, picking up on the Gaudete / rejoice theme: ‘Rejoice in the Lord alway’ (Redford). It is a choir favourite and the congregation seem to like it too.
There were several little children up to their antics, causing lots of smiles on tired and worn faces. ‘Rejoice’ was a fitting theme to the day. I’m sure the youth group will be rejoicing in their own inimitable style tonight, for that is when they have their Christmas party.

On Friday we froze in the town square, singing carols at the Dickensian Evening. Well, those of us who were hardy enough to turn up did, anyway. Then home for a whisky and electric blankets to warm ourselves up.

At the family Eucharist on Sunday and again at Evensong, we sang ‘How beautiful upon the mountains’ by Stanford. Several people commented on what a lovely anthem it was, including some who said, ‘is it new?’ It made me wonder what the anthem normally sounded like when we sang it, to render it so unrecognisable!