A Special Evensong
29 May 2022
Earlier today just short of forty members of the choir visited
Peterborough Cathedral to sing Choral Evensong, part of our ongoing
series of visits entitled In Sacred Spaces. Members of the
choir had sung Evensong at Peterborough as part of a Diocesan Choral
Festival some years ago, but this was our first visit to our
Diocesan Cathedral on our own.
The Choir in Peterborough Cathedral
It was a very special day for our répétiteur, Ivan Linford,
returning to the Cathedral where he had served as a chorister in the
1880s, and for one of our sopranos, Hilary Spenceley, whose son,
Haydon, was being installed as the new Diocesan Director of
Ordinands during the service.
Ivan at the Peterborough Console
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The Revd Haydon Spenceley is Installed
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As always, the choir sang with style and, in Smart’s Evening
Service in B flat, with plenty of oomph. Our Musical Director’s
Responses were sung, and he arranged the two hymns with beautiful
harmonies for both choir and organ. The anthem was most fitting for
the occasion, Charles Wood’s Expectans expectavi - “Call thou
early, call thou late, to thy great service dedicate”. We received a
great welcome from the cathedral clergy and staff, the Bishop of
Brixworth, and there was a splendid drinks reception after the
service. We are now very much looking forward to our second visit in
2022, to St Albans Cathedral, and then in 2023 for our third visit
to St Paul’s Cathedral.
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