Comments to Colin Robinson
, I was interested in your comment on the need for change in
the church. The 2 Catholic Masses we attended (Kensington Joburg and Hermanus)
both on Saturday evenings were well attended but not many young people – both
had organ and small choirs but some of the music was pretty dire including that
awful Lees Lord’s prayer. The proper was not sing at either of them so
basically hymn sandwiches. The priest at Hermanus (elderly, Irish) tended to do
his own thing!
St Alban’s cathedral Pretoria was a very different story –
Higher than Rome and with a splendid team of servers in tabards and a thurifer
doing complete swings of the censer. We arrived at 11 and they started at 9.30
– they had reached the Offertory. Well-dressed congregation mostly Temba I
think. Good to see Ronnie Jones – he has played there for 42 years! Music
combination of traditional and modern hymns from various books. There were 5
musical items at communion which went on a long time but the people’s singing
was tremendous - a real sense of community! The children arrived from
Sunday school in droves and went up for a blessing. It was the C of E at its
grandest but also very human with some laughter. Newcomers were asked to stand
at the end. But interestingly at all these services while there was a handshake
on arrival nobody made any effort to speak to us afterwards!!!! Is it any
wonder people do not return?
At St Peter’s Hermanus we went to choral evensong advertised
on a banner outside – it is held on 3rd Sunday and Fr Adrian said
afterwards he hoped to attract younger people – well the average age of the
small congregation would have been 50 I reckon. The choir were reasonably
competent but we seemed to be in a time warp again. Traditional C of E texts with
psalm and canticles chanted rather slowly. The sermon was pretty dire with ums
and ahs and at one point a personal comment to somebody in the congregation
which I thought rather odd. Then we endured Victorian hymns (don’t get me wrong
I quite like some of them!) and Nearer my God to Thee (thoughts of the Titanic
and a sinking ship?) Chatting to Fr Adrian afterwards I asked about the Cherrys
who had been vicar and assistant there – they have refused contact and it seems
Elizabeth literally burnt herself out when Len died. She seems to have been
very badly treated when Len was dying which is sad. They were both such
livewires back in the 70s.
So there are my comments – just a little snapshot. At St
George’s cathedral Cape Town there was much evidence of a lively congregation
and of course the organ is superb. Grant Brasler could not have been nicer.
In Joburg we had a lovely meal at Ronnie Gill’s. He went to
SJC and was organist at St Mary’s cathedral for 12 years but now plays at their
own Anglican church in Kensington and he built an organ there. He has an
amazing train layout! It is sad that to play St Mary’s cathedral organ one
would need an escort and be rather brave! Apparently audiences for organ
recitals are bussed in! We did in fact drive through the centre from Wits
Origins centre to get to the airport and it wasn’t a very comfortable
experience. Felt much happier in Pretoria and the Cape!!
So a wonderful holiday and some enduring experiences. I had
a long email from Colin Hartley which was very interesting. I’ll forward it. He
tends to be very taciturn when I see him!
Comments