How shall I keep from singing?

Nearly a full choir for the morning service, but we still managed to sing ‘The Call’ by Lloyd quietly. Which was just as well as the descant in the middle verse was a rather gentle and lovely solo voice. There were lots of smiles as we processed out – to a choir and organist favourite, the Pomp and Circumstance March, by Elgar.

In the evening, the anthem (the same one as this morning) really was sung quietly – as there were only 13 in the choir! Most of the missing culprits were teenagers, who were obviously adopting a ‘one out, all out’ policy – probably busy texting each other on their mobiles saying ‘I’m can’t come tonight, so don’t bother to turn out’.
We may sing ancient music, but our technology is modern…….

There are some weeks when the theme becomes a little obvious. Today was one of them. The psalm was about shepherds (Psalm 23, responsorial), the Gospel was about shepherds (John 10), the sermon was about shepherds, the prayers had a refrain about shepherds, and the anthem was about shepherds (Psalm 23 to Anglican chant). We’re getting rather good at chanting Psalm 23 well, I wish we could transfer those skills to singing the other psalms at evensong….

There was quite a good turnout of the choir to the service this morning, although not as good as to the choir and bellringers’ dinner yesterday. When there is lots of food around, the choir members usually discover they have no alternate engagements. It was worth it to watch the vicar – on his birthday – perform a sketch dressed up as Admiral Lord Nelson. The not-at-all-disguised ‘Happy Birthday to you’ in the gospel fanfare this morning was only partly for this reason, and also partly for a member of the congregation who was 80 today.

Still low on sopranos today – they were back from Tewkesbury but various ailments and family commitments ensured a bottom-heavy choir. Our ‘Christians shout for joy’ by Bach would have delighted a Russian Choir with all those strong, deep notes. Perhaps we should have offered to sing it at Charles and Camilla’s wedding?

The men turned out in force again in the evening, but for a different reason – tonight was the night of the Civic Service, and Civic Services mean a ‘bash’ in the Town Hall afterwards. The mayor was forgiven for not asking the choir to sing an anthem (Taize and Iona music was the order of the day) as we queued up for delicious refreshments in the old wood-panelled hall.

The choir was rather low on numbers this Sunday – several of our choristers, plus organist, had heard that the Bishop was coming, so they ran off to Tewkesbury Abbey to sing there instead. The remnants put on a brave front and sang ‘Now the green blade riseth’, which fitted in rather appropriately with the Bishop’s sermon on biblical gardens. Fortunately, three of the four verses are supposed to be sung quietly. Which we did, of course……

Had a crazy time this Sunday – earache caused deafness in one ear, made my voice sound weird and my singing sound like guesswork. The rest of the choir are still speaking to me, so maybe I managed ok. Normal eucharist with familiar music, fortunately: anthem was ‘Now the Green Blade Riseth’. One of the tenors has a very loud voice, which I could hear, so I decided if I kept in tune with him, I probably wouldn’t go far wrong. Couldn’t hear any of the altos at all, even the one I stand next to.

The organist played one of my favourite pieces (Carillon de Westminster, by Vierne) at the end. You don’t need perfect hearing for that, just feel the ground shake! But darn it – by the time I had got changed, put all my music back and emerged from the choir vestry, he was playing the last chord….. Must listen first, change later, next time.

Evensong was much shortened today (vicar off on jolly with mother-in-law ), so no sermon or final hymn. Sang ‘Come ye faithful’ by Thatcher – could really have done with hearing the other altos in this one; kept my eyes firmly on the conductor and hoped I stayed in time.

Going up to the doctor’s this morning for some antibiotics – have a ‘Songs of Praise’ rehearsal at Exeter Cathedral tonight, and it would be useful to be able to hear again……