Quarant'Ore

I missed my swim today as I woke up late - no wonder Ed considering my programme! My boss came to set targets for the year and I was able to suggest some I have already achieved like getting 4 authors for the reading group - Louise Tondeur comes Saturday. To serve at Mass at the cathedral for the middle Mass of the Quarant'Ore (40 hours devotion to the Blessed Sacrament). The flowers are stunning and the Mass was very beautiful with Mgr Mark. He gave a fine homily on love and the Sacred Heart (not a feast which has appealed to me very much) and I felt a real sense of prayer and forgiveness. The full choir sang Haydn Missa St Johannis de Deo (we sing it at Coulsdon) and it's delightful. In fact it's the setting we sang when I brought the choir to sing at mass and I'm very keen to have it at Louise's wedding. Saw Thomas Wilson and teased him about coming to dinner on Sunday (they couldn't make it in Lent because of his duties as precentor - see the cathedral blog for a fine photo of Thomas and Madeline). The Apprentice has finished with Simon winning to many people's surprise. The point is that he IS an apprentice and can still be moulded by Sir Alan Sugar. Watched heat of Cardiff singer of the world won by Japanese soprano. Like the American baritone!

Comments

Edward said…
Love the Haydn! (Although I suppose one might quibble about the way the texts are compressed.) When I worked in a more normal church (which happened to be Anglican) I once did another totally charming short mass of Haydn in F with two soprano soloists. Do you know it? It was especially nice on that occasion because I had enough really good volunteer sopranos that everyone got to do some of the solos. Oh, and we had an LA Phil violinist in the congregation who tried her hand with a baroque bow that morning!
15 June 2007 at 21:45
John the organist said…
You of course know why Haydn compressed the Gloria text - when the clergy mess with musicians! I was told Haydn was badly marked by smallpox and was very unattractive! But his music is such a joy. I don't think i knwo the Mass in F - it sounds lovely!
16 June 2007 at 11:26
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