This will be held at 7.30 on Thursday 19th at Lenzie…..for more details contact me via Comments. Also let me know that you can come, or can’t.

Please bring along any solo pieces we could incorporate in a couple of secular events we are looking-at.

I hope you’ve been watching ‘The Choir’ on BBC each week when a young highly-enthusiastic musician has bullied and cajoled various groups from around the country to improve their singing skills and join in a public performance of (sometimes) a relatively-difficult piece.

Although the timescale is greatly contracted and the whole thing is intended to make good television, it is still very-interesting to watch what can be done. If you haven’t seen it before, give it a try!

Recently I visited again, a lovely little Church of Scotland in an idyllic part of Argyll, which has all the hallmarks of a conventional Highland Presbyterian Church.

It had a pefectly-preserved Precentor’s chair, just below the pulpit. The one shown above is from the Glasite Church in Dundee in use in the 1700’s.

The name Precentor goes back as far as the 4th Century and means literally ‘First Singer’. He, for it was always ‘he’, was an important official in a church, monastic community, or Cathedral where he sat opposite the Dean. Hence we have the two sides of the Choir, Decani (of the Dean) and Cantoria (of the Precentor).

In the days and places  such as the Scottish Presbyterian Churches, where there was no choir or organ, (at least before the end of the 1800s) there was still a wish to sing. The metrical psalms were highly-regarded and so were very important in the worship of the day. Paraphrases and hymns were just starting to be used (not without some local objections!) .

So someone who had an ear for a tune could be useful and might be appointed to start and lead the singing. It was at this time he might have been allowed a pitch-pipe, especially if his inherent pitch were not perfect.

So whilst we sometimes see and hear a Precenter in Songs of Praise from one of the islands, the Precenter’s chair is now a seat rarely occupied.

However…..I saw recently at a Roman Catholic funeral service, this very office being fulfilled by a very-competent singer, who was able to lead a rather-recalcitrant congregation along……..so maybe the hands of the clock have been turned back!

Our third visit to St Aidan’s, Clarkston, was no less eventful than the previous two!

A Patronal Festival Evensong is pretty-well fixed in the church’s calendar, so if people are likely to be away elsewhere, then there is a problem. This happened this time with the organist, and several of the Church Choir members, and some of our members not being available on the due date.

The new Rector Rev Nicholas Taylor, had hardly  time to settle in before this festival, and Helen Raeside, the assistant organist had to get to grips with the music, some of which was new. Even problems with one of the radio mics seemed to conspire against us.

However, even with all that, it was a lovely service with  an excellent sermon from the Rector of a neighbouring Church. The usual eats and drinks before and after gave us a chance to socialise with many folk we had met before.

Music……..

• Introit:- ‘Except the Lord build the House’….(JHM)
• First Hymn:- ‘Saintly Aidan’
• Psalm:- 89, Chant E.J.Hopkins
• Magnificat:- Chant J.Turle
• Nunc Dimittis:- Chant H Baker
• Second Hymn:- Dear Lord and Father…to tune Repton
• Anthem:- ‘O, Lord, my heart is not proud’ …Music by Margaret Rizza
• Hymn:- Lord, enthroned in heavenly splendour!
• Vesper:- ‘May the road rise to meet you’…music by J.Jerome Williams

Go and look in  your atlas, or investigate Google, or click  the link at the bottom if you want to find out about this wonderful haven of tranquility in Argyll. It is close to Port Appin (10 minute foot-ferry), or by large car-ferry from Oban.

It is a small island but boasts its own Cathedral dedicated to St Moluag. It was at one time the Cathedral of the Isles but the main part was burned-down at the Reformation, and whilst the outline can still be seen, only the Choir area is now used as Lismore Parish Church of Scotland.

By the nature of its history, Lismore Parish Church is a perfect setting for an ecumenical Service. At various times Roman Catholic, then Anglican, and now Church of Scotland.

It is here that we hope to have as the venue for an ecumenical service on 13th June 2010……so even if you are not coming over to join us, it is a wonderful area!

http://www.scotland-inverness.co.uk/lismore.htm

You will recall that we sang Evensong here in March of this year. They have been holding a Homecoming, to welcome back those who have a historical background in the area. Julie has produced a wonderful colour booklet on the importance of the Church in the life of the Jacobite events, as well as being the main Episcopal Church of the region.

Should you wish to obtain a copy, by making a donation, please let me know and I can obtain a number.

Well done, to Fiona, a member of Angelus Singers, who has just graduated with MA (Hons), in Theology and Religious Studies….

The following events, at which we will be taking part, are provisional and subject to change…so please look under ‘Upcoming Events’ for updates.

2009

• August 30th        St Aidan’s…..Patronal Festival 
• October 4th         St Aidan’s……Harvest Service
• November 1st     St Aidan’s…….All Saints’ Festival
• December 6th    St Aidan’s…….Advent Carols

2010

June 13th…….Church of Scotland, Lismore (ecumenical service)

Contributions from the following are gratefully acknowledged…

• St. Fillans Episcopal Church, Killin, Perthshire
• St Aidan’s Episcopal Church, Clarkston, Glasgow

I once asked an old Irish Roman Catholic Priest how he kept his mission fresh and kept his flock coming. His reply was…’Surprise the punters!’ 

It has become a habit that on the last Sunday in June, when St Mary’s Cathedral Choir stops for their Summer break, they do some spectacular music. 

This year was no different…. 10.30 am saw us gathering at the Cathedral to join in a Jazz Mass by Bob Chilcott.

‘Bob who?’ some of you might ask.

There you are!  

He was born in 1955 and proved to be a choral man through and through. He was a Choral Scholar at King’s College, Cambridge and in 1985 became a member of the Kings’s Singers, an a cappella group, for some 12 years. In 1997 he took up composing and conducting full-time and has produced an extensive list of music, much of which is suitable for young singers. We have already had some of his music within the Cathedral.

The music for the Liturgy was supplied by a number of relatively-young musicians (well, at my age, most musicians are relatively-young!), including a flautist and clarinetist drawn from the choir. Even the very-young junior members of the treble line sang their hearts out! The enjoyment in the choir and congregation was evident as the usual high quality was maintained, and with that happiness which jazz can provide…despite the references to ‘blues’.

It was a wonderful morning, in a well-filled church, and I’m sure that my friendly Irish priest would have been pleased with ‘the surprise’!