Sunday

2 baptisms at St Andrew's - both older boys who grabbed the mike! The music was straightforward "Guide me O thou great Redeemer" "Spirit of faithfulness" (to Blow the wind southerly - shades of Kathleen Ferrier) "Just as I am" (to "Saffron Walden") and "Colours of day" (not a favourite of mine - very suitable for cremations - so light up the fire and let the flames burn. What does the line about the sun dying mean?) The setting was the Hurdy-gurdy one by Norman Warren with the Agnus sung to "Caswall". I played Nobilmente and Toccata by Dom Andrew Moore and at a communion a plainchant based piece on "O sacrum convivium" by John Lee and a Stanley slow movement.
Afterwards spent time rehearsing "O happy day" with the children and some adults for the wedding. After all this work the bride has cold feet and we are not singing it after all! Still it gives more time to rehearse the other pieces on Saturday!
Visited Grandma and Mary and she has now seen the doctor. Nice to see Evelyn McBride and a nurse who looked after me when I had my knee op! Constructed the new gas BBQ - had to change the legs round in order to get the wooden side panel to lie flat.
Lovely evensong on the radio from the 3 choirs at Gloucester - Blair, Elgar and Harris. Superb "Gotterdammerung" on the radio from the Proms. The BBC chorus were most impressive and Sir John Tomlinson as commanding as ever! Donald Runnicles conducted. Having seen it recently on TV helps a lot!

Comments

Edward said…
A hurdy-gurdy mass--now that beggars the imagination! Although there's a composer here who's done masses with steel drum band (quite effective, actually), bagpipe, and so on. My harpsichord builder friend has a large collection of historic hurdy-gurdies and musettes--always fun to see and hear (although I suspect this is not what you were talking about!).
13 August 2007 at 16:56
John the organist said…
Tee hee - I call it that because it's in A major and sounds like a carousel tune!
13 August 2007 at 23:57
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