Bath

A wonderful weekend in Bath enjoying the end of the Royal School of Church Music course which Bruce has attended for 15 years. He startled us by singing a solo in the Gibbons 2nd service Magnificat and making a speech at the final assembly! What a fine line up of singers 160 in all. We attended the mattins and evensongs in the Abbey and the delightful concert on Friday evening. The accommodation at the YMCA was basic but OK (my bed was not that comfortable and there was noise in the night from stag and hen parties outside and seagulls in the early morning but we would have experienced the same at the Hilton!). A good full breakfast for £1.95! I bought a fine new panama hat at the hat shop. We enjoyed sitting in Victoria Park and eating ice creams in the Royal parade gardens and the sun shone after long weeks of rainy London. Ann joined us on Sunday afternoon and cried at evensong. Dad's presence was very much with us both with his favourite Howells, Bairstow organ music and "Save us O lord". Stephen Graal gave us some brilliant Guilmant and Vierne on the organ and the 2 organ scholars acquitted themselves well. The chaplain Robert Jones from Worcester was excellent and brought out the theme of the week from Micah "Do justly, show kindness and walk humbly with your God" in his sermon in the abbey on Sunday morning. We also got to sing some fine hymns including "The day thou gavest"! We travelled by coach and Bruce cycled down with Jethan taking his large wardrobe by car. Jet joined us at the tapas bar on Sunday night and a good time was had by all enjoying sangria! The finest moments were the trebles soaring up to the high notes in Howells Gloucester service and Stanford's "For lo I raise up". Geoff Weaver was as always an inspiration ending Mattins and the course with a great African song and the hilarious penguin warm up routine involving jumping about and shaking extremities! We returned home to find Dennis at the bus stop! Here is Bruce wearing his new hood!