How shall I keep from singing?

Continuing my regular escape from Creamtealand, this Sunday saw me singing in a lovely Welsh church, converted to an Arts centre during the week but still used for services on Sundays. It has a very, very small choir which this week was reduced to a very, very, very small choir due to holidays and other commitments. Our presence, however, enabled the choir to sing four parts in ‘Drop, Drop slow Tears’ (Gibbons) and full Anglican chant for the psalm, so they seemed glad for the reinforcements. It was also a pleasure to attend Evensong at Llandaff Cathedral, unfortunately not with the regular cathedral choir who were on their pre-Easter break, but an excellent deputising choir (all girls top line) who sang Stanford in A and ‘Lie Still’ (Bach, St. John Passion). The lovely singing and gentle speaking voices had a soporific effect; it was a most relaxing end to the afternoon.

After a sublime concert of early music at a Creamtealand abbey on Saturday night, I must admit I was not looking forward to the Mothering Sunday Family Service. We had been asked to sing a rather cheesy anthem by John Bell, ‘The love of God comes close’, which was starting to grow on me but for the ghastly key change for the last verse. Every time we practised it, the organist (or pianist for this particular item) hammed it up something rotten, just to wind us up. Fortunately for his continued state of health, he managed to tone it down for the service to something just above subtle level and consequently nobody puked into their daffodils. Anyway, the simnel cake at coffee time made up for everything

The first weekend in March was spent in a rarefied musical environment, on the Friends of Cathedral Music weekend in Oxford. Talks, concerts, meals and services held in New College, Magdalen and Christchurch lasted for three days – an environment wonderfully rich but far too rich to last. I will remember the strange way that Christchurch (under Darlington) have of singing the psalms for a long time – those long held vowels would make my own choir master weep. I must admit to Magdalen College chapel being my favourite.

Then back to my own choir, where we are not cathedral or collegiate standard, but we try to do our best. ‘Call to remembrance’ by Farrant is one of my favourite anthems, which can almost sing itself once you get the rhythm going. We sang it in a quiet, relaxed style in the morning, followed by ‘View me, Lord’ by Lloyd, sung in similar fashion, at Evensong. The sopranos did well as we were low in numbers on both occasions, especially as some were sung out after performing in a Choral society concert the previous evening. We were also fortunate in having one of the readers come to join us (the one with the lovely bass voice) as well as the vicar singing alto. There’s a true sense of partnership between clergy and choir when they join in. Perhaps churches where choir and clergy are at loggerheads should try it as a solution?