How shall I keep from singing?

We experienced church in a rather different way this week. Having two Sundays off from our normal commitments, in order to travel to St. Andrews Graduation Week, meant no singing but the chance instead to listen to two university chapel choirs. At the Graduation Service in St. Salvator’s Chapel, the red-robed choir sang from the balcony. Confident young voices sang Howells’ Magnificat (Gloucester Service), some wonderful descants to the hymns and a glorious choral final ‘Amen’, before entertaining us with a lighter programme (folk songs) at the actual Graduation. ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’ (Weelkes) and ‘Timor et tremor’ (Poulenc) started off the varied Graduation Recital at the end of a long day. I think the choir definitely earned their free board and lodgings for staying on an extra week after term ended.

The atmospheric Candlelit Compline at St. Leonard’s Chapel (surely Harry Potter was meant to be set here?), with a choir led by one of the students, happened late at night so my attention unfortunately wandered. The Tudor introit was introduced in a thick Scottish accent, so I didn’t catch the name, and didn’t recognise it when it was sung. Balfour Gardiner’s ‘Evening Hymn’ was sung in Latin with a beautifully lush tone – when sung well this always makes me think I am slowly sinking into pillows of velvet. To match the beauty of the singing, and send us on our way in peace, was the three-minute silence at the end of the prayers.

The environmental theme continued today, with the Gospel Reading (all about scattering seed, growth and harvest), the sermon (about growth and tending small shoots) and the anthem ‘Thou visitest the Earth’ (rather appropriately by a chap called Greene). I began to think I’d slept through summer and woken up to find ourselves in the middle of the harvest festival.

Evensong was quiet and dignified, in the way that only evensong can. Attwood’s ‘Teach me O Lord’ was sung confidently, by a much larger choir than in recent months; we processed out to the rather delightful Canon in D by Pachebel – a total contrast to Verdi’s ‘Grand March’ this morning.

A very brave conductor stood in front of us on Saturday, having arranged for 40 parts to gather together to sing Tallis’ ‘Spem in Alium’ in aid of a children’s charity. After two hours’ practice, we held together just enough to sing the monster work in public, together with other Tallis motets: ‘If ye love me’, ‘O nata lux de lumine’ and ‘Salvator mundi, salva nos’. People listening seemed to appreciate the richness of sound, which carried well across the church, even though to some of us, in the thick of it, it sounded more like ’spam in aluminium’ in places.

On Sunday we were joined by some of the students, back from their term’s studies, which was an encouraging boost to numbers. It was a joy to sing the Benedicite (a reminder of Mattins days) as the anthem in the morning service, a strange mixture of Trinity Sunday and World Environment Day. However, it all came together at Evensong when we sang ‘I bind unto myself today’, the words of which neatly combine Trinity with the natural world. The Sweeney responses and ‘Hymn to the Trinity’ (Tchaikovsky) made a splendid end to a weekend feast of music.

This weekend saw us in Bristol, first at the cathedral for Friday evensong with the lay clerks. Six singers with beautifully clear voices sang full SATB, with one counter tenor having a tremendously high range. Tallis responses, the Batten Short Service and Purcell’s ‘Thou knowest Lord the secrets of our hearts’ were sung with exquisitely gentle voices – the choir boys could enjoy their half-term break knowing that the music was in very capable hands.

The ancient ‘Rush Sunday’ service at St. Mary Redcliffe sounded rather intriguing, and so it proved to be. There was a wonderful perfume pervading the church, with rush-strewn floors and nosegays in the main aisle pews. The service was based loosely on Mattins, beginning with a very grand procession of city dignitaries and ending with sherry on the church green. The all-male choir is a rather special church choir, almost at Cathedral standard, so it was a tremendous pleasure to hear them sing Howells’ ‘Jubilate’, the Rose responses, and Carter’s ‘Come Holy Ghost’. The rousing choice of hymns was further enhanced by a brass quintet joining in with the final verse of each hymn. A joyous celebration fitting for Whit Sunday and the latest in a long line of such services stretching from 1493 to the present day.