A big sing!
In the middle of last year, we drove north, with some good friends, to join the Churches in the Pitlochry area, to meet at the Festival Theatre Garden, and sing some well-kent melodies and harmonies with other members of local churches.
For those of us who love to exercise our lungs in public, what is it that makes joining in a large choir so wonderful? Is it the comradeship, the mutual mistakes, the thrill of well-sung harmony, or some strange primitive sensation bringing us together in a common purpose, where no-one is more important than others, and equality is all? Or is it the anonimity which assures us that a mistake made by us is not going to destry the overall effect?
About the same time, I joined over 500 other choristers in the Glasgow City Hall to practise and then perform the Brahms German Requiem, all on one day! Some feat…..and (besides several Austrian holidays) one of the few occasions when I was able to justify the time spent as a youth learning the gutteral formation of awkward long words!
However it was a wonderful event and the sheer numbers of those singing the same part as I was, carried me forward to the right notes (well, at least, mostly!).
But the answer still eludes me….why do we like to sing in large numbers?
Aberfoyle..the Church on the Hill
Sept….2007
St Mary’s, Aberfoyle……………Sung Evensong
Vesper Hymn…..God that Madest
The view of the Church from the road
Jean at the marvellous Willis organ
Lochgilphead….Christ Church
Oct 7th….2007
Christ Church, Lochgilphead…….Sung Evensong
We are very lucky, in that, in two hours on Sunday we were able to travel through some of the most wonderful Argyll countryside (just as the leaves are changing to that lovely russet, the true indicator of Autumn), to spend time in Lochgilphead. We then sang Choral Evensong with the members of, not only Christ Church, but members from other churches. What a great example of ecuminism!
Just now, the Church celebrates the life and work of Francis of Assisi, probably one of the best-known Saints, because of his association with nature. This was reflected in the presence of a number of (stuffed) animals, the organ music (Carnival of the Animals) and the hymns. By the way, Jack the organist was wonderful and, at 80+, plays like a young virtuoso!
It was a wonderful day all through, and as usual, the hospitality was more than we deseved.
Special note has to be made of one of our members who flew back from Dusseldorf on Sunday morning, managed to get from Prestwick to Paisley, sat the whole way to Lochgilphead by car, practised, sang lustily, and then sat the whole way back to Glasgow (actually she did snooze a little!)…without complaining!
Now, how do we beat that?
Anthem:- ‘Through the Day’…words by T Kelly (1769-1854) and music by Thomas Morley (1557-1602)
Vesper:- ‘Go now in love, go now in peace’ (words and music by Patrick M Liebergen)
Angelus with Rector and organist on a lovely autumn evening
St Cyprian’s, Lenzie
Feb 18th…2007
St. Cyprian’s ………….Lenzie…….Sung Evensong
Our earliest Evensongs were held here, when we realised that this service was disappearing. Sometimes it was only the Choir with one acting as cantor who attended, but at least it did maintain the tradition a little while longer
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Holy Name, Cumbernauld
May 20th 2007
Holy Name, Cumbernauld……Sung Evensong
A large building in a modern style, intended to cater for the influx of English incomers to Cumbernauld when it opened in 1958. Whilst many of the large employers have gone, and the potential congregation has declined, we wish them the best for the next 50.
Vesper Hymn….God that Makest
