Long Lines in Lichfield
4 February 2017
Earlier today nearly seventy members of the choir boarded cars,
coaches, and bicycles, to take us up to Lichfield to sing Choral
Evensong. We began a programme of singing "In
Sacred Spaces" back in 2011 when we planned to sing Choral
Evensong at St Paul's Cathedral (though we instead sang at
Gloucester Cathedral, when St Paul's was unexpectedly closed with
only 24 hours' notice!). Since then we have sung at St Paul's
Cathedral twice, as well as at Coventry Cathedral, and in 2017 our
visits take us to Lichfield and, on 4 November, Ely Cathedral. With
a choir of this size, it was impossible to rehearse in any of the
Cathedral's usual choir rehearsal rooms, so we were delighted to be
able to use the Cathedral itself throughout the afternoon. This gave
us plenty of time for sightseeing in advance of our rehearsal, and
to visit one of the many fine places for luncheon, many going al
fresco with the glorious weather.
Ivan at the Organ Console
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Half the Choir from the Organ Loft
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On the musical menu was Louis Le Vuyand's Responses, Psalm
23 set to a superb chant by Sir Henry Walford Davies, an Office Hymn
set to the old Irish melody known as Slane, Henry Smart's
tub-thumping setting of the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in B
flat major, and the joyous sounds of Samuel Wesley's little-known
anthem, Exultate Deo, a setting of verses from Psalm 81. Our
organist, Ivan Linford, concluded proceedings with Dubois' Fiat
Lux ("Let there be light"), perfectly chosen for a service
following so closely after Candlemas. Our major difficulties on this
visit were having the singers stretched out right down the stalls,
filling up four full rows in the Quire, as well as the very sharp
pitch of the organ. Ivan very cleverly transposed the Canticles and
anthem down a semitone, and we had printed the Responses and Psalm
down a semitone already, so we were well prepared!
Outside the West Front
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We received a most warm welcome from Assistant Organist and Bass
Lay Vicar Nigel Argust, as well as the Canon for Pastoral
Development and Mission and Canon Treasurer, Pat Hawkins and Andrew
Stead, who lead the service. |
