How shall I keep from singing?

The choirmaster didn’t expect many choristers to turn up today as his phone had been busy all week with apologies (away visiting family, dreaded lurgy, etc.). In the end we had six for the morning Eucharist with Baptism – three altos, two tenors and one bass. We processed the short (Evensong) way and all sat on one side of the choir stalls. We chickened out of singing the anthem (probably just as well as ‘the Coventry carol’ is not very appropriate for baptisms!) and sang the Mass setting (Thorne) in unison. However, as the congregation are very confident at singing carols, we allowed ourselves the luxury of singing ATB in most of the verses. It was worth staying for coffee this morning, as there were luxury shortbread biscuits instead of the usual plainer ones. Anyone would think it was Christmas, or something……

Another alto was press-ganged into joining us for the evening carol service at our daughter church, a little rural church with a small congregation who love us to join them for their big occasions. The crib had an intriguing mix of wooden and knitted characters, with a tiny china baby Jesus. Chunky white candles set in painted tin cans (I’m not sure whose selfless devotion led to the devouring of all the baked beans and lager) lit up the interior and the enticing scent of home-made mince pies and mulled wine filled the air as we sang. There were six lessons and nine carols – all well-known. We jiggled about with the parts to provide full four-part harmony throughout and invited the congregation to join in the choir-only items, which they did with gusto. Boy, did we need that mulled wine at the end!

After the rowdy singing of carols at the local Hospital (albeit with magnificent descants and a lovely treble solo), and stuffing our faces at the same, some of us were in good enough voice to sing in Christmas Day at Midnight Mass. The church was full but with only a few extra chairs needed, so the health and safety officer didn’t need to worry too much. It was a treat to sing the Gloria again (to the Thorne setting) after the Advent fast. We repeated the Sweeney ‘Silent Night’ during the administration, followed by ‘Away in a Manger’ (arr. Willcocks – the twiddly harmony that is very simple but impresses everyone). The sopranos were again in good voice and filled the church with confident descants to all the carols.

Fewer of us got up early on Christmas morning for the 9.30am service, although a choir of 16 wasn’t bad given the number who had to be away visiting relatives. Although we didn’t sound quite like ‘The (famous) Sixteen’ we gave it our best effort, with a jaunty rendition of ‘Angels from the Realms of Glory’ (arr. Jacques) during the Eucharist. The vicar enjoyed himself in the sermon, preaching on ‘He has bared his Holy Arm’ (a prophecy from Isaiah) and there ensued a ‘find the person in the pews with the largest biceps’ competition. His point was that God didn’t come down in power and might, but in the vulnerability of a little baby. However, the competitiveness of many of the men in the congregation was quite revealing. The eventual winner looked quite disappointed not to be awarded a prize. Meanwhile, the younger choristers, whose biceps were definitely weeny, returned home armed with giant chocolate bar selection boxes. The Christ Child may not show favouritism, but Mrs. Santa certainly does.

We added the ‘Agnus Dei’ to the Mass of St. Eustachius today, which completes it for the moment until we sing the Gloria again. My favourites are the ‘Kyrie’ and ‘Agnus Dei’ full of wonderful scrunchy chords which only resolve at the last minute. During the Eucharist we took it easy by singing the Basque carol, ‘Gabriel’s Message’ (known to choirs everywhere as ‘Most highly flavoured gravy’.) The middle verse sung as a soprano solo with humming from the other parts had a certain poignancy, as if Mary really was answering the angel in song right there in the church. Such an interpretation was more noticeable with the carol being sung on its own, rather than as part of the more usual ‘9 lessons and carols’.

The ‘Lessons and Carols’ (now strangely reduced to 7 lessons) worked really well as a whole this year – we sang everything with a zing and a zip, without even the promise of a mince pie at the end. Perhaps it was because we had been so well looked-after and fed at the choir party on Friday. Despite illness in the alto and soprano lines (necessitating some last-minute solo rearrangements) we sang: Adam lay ybounden (Ord), Hail Blessed Virgin Mary (arr. Wood), Sussex Carol (arr. Willcocks), Myn Lyking (Terry), Nativity Carol (Rutter), Ding Dong (arr. Willcocks) and Silent Night (arr. Sweeney), plus the usual congregational carols. Silent Night was unmistakeably in the Sweeney style, with yet more scrunchy chords (taking a whole line to resolve in one case): I’ve never sung in a Barbershop Choir, but imagined myself to be in one surrounded by all that close harmony.
The organ voluntary (Variations on Adeste Fidelis – Dupre) struck me as very appropriate for the organist to play at weddings when the bride is late, sounding much more like ‘Why are we waiting’ than ‘O come all ye faithful’.

The vicar didn’t appear today – I expect he was too scared we would lynch him and force him to wear vestments in a delicate shade of rose.
The NSM priest announced the engagement of two of our choristers home from university – a bass to a soprano – and we sang ‘Rejoice in the Lord Alway’ (Anon.), which seemed rather fitting in the circumstances. We also introduced the ‘Sanctus’ of the Sweeney ‘St. Eustachius’ Mass to the congregation for the first time. I didn’t hear any comments – positive or negative – today.

A busy week of carol singing around the Nursing Homes of the Parish (hopefully fortified by the odd glass of sherry and mince pies) continues throughout the week.

The torrential rain stopped just in time for carols in the square at the town Dickensian Evening on Friday. It even felt warm after the effect of several glasses of mulled wine and a bag of hot chestnuts. We looked very Victorian dressed in red and white, singing ‘Ding Dong Merrily on High’, plus several congregational carols, accompanied by the Stannary Brass Band. The Band’s harmonies were mostly similar to our own so we managed four-part harmony and even a descant or two, before ending with ‘We wish you a Merry Christmas’, to see everyone safely home.

On Sunday morning, all eyes were fixed on the second Advent candle as it was lit (by a somewhat taller girl) but fortunately there was no repeat of last week’s tumble. Today was the ‘World Premiere’ of the Kyrie from our new Sweeney Mass. It seemed to be well-received. The best note of all is reserved for the Altos, who have a Tierce da Picardie at the end. The choirmaster has to promise never to be rude to the altos again, or we shall ‘forget’ to sing it. Our best soloist was in good voice during the communion anthem, ‘Jesu, Meine Freude’, Bach (fortunately sung in English).

We had competition at Evensong, as a nearby church was holding their Christmas spectacular with two brass bands and choir carol sing-a-long. Fortunately, there were some people in the town who realised it was still Advent so we had a small congregation to hear us sing ‘God so loved the world’ by Stainer. It sounded a little disjointed to me; perhaps we will sing it better at Passiontide. Even more disjointed was the gap between the first collect and the ‘Amen’. The collect was very short and caught us all out – including the choirmaster. We weren’t napping – really…..

Being Advent, we had two ‘grumpy sermons’ today. Obviously the season of peace and goodwill is not quite here yet. We are still in the season of Scrooge.

The choir’s various coughs, colds and tummy bugs are now nearly over, just in time for Advent. However, there were other plots afoot to disrupt the service: the young girl appointed to light the first advent candle couldn’t reach. It was brought down for her to light and then insecurely replaced. Sure enough, as the service progressed there was a thud and the candle remained, for the rest of the service, battered and unlit, resting on the deacon’s stall. Fortunately, no Patriarchs, clergy or small children were harmed during this episode. The appropriately-named anthem, ‘Wachet Auf’ (Bach) – freely translated by some of the choristers as ‘Watch out!’ – must have warned us that something untoward was going to happen…..

Our Advent Carol service began with a departure from tradition – a modern version of the Matin Responsory (penned by our own choirmaster, and sung as a quintet from the tower steps). After this, we processed to the stalls and sang a selection of old favourites, including Adam lay Ybounden (Ord), Gabriel’s Message (Basque carol), Joseph and the Angel (Terry), The truth sent from above (Vaughan-Williams) and The cherry tree (arr. Willcocks). During the singing of ‘Hills of the North’, the choir processed up to behind the high altar to sing ‘People look East’ (arr. Bramma) and ‘Lo he comes’, before returning to the vestry.

An undignified rush followed as the choir tried to compete with the congregation to be the first to nab the mulled wine and mince pies. We needn’t have worried; there was plenty for all and some left over as well.