Anyone who vaguely follows this blog may have noticed that one of my challenges is to attend evensong at each one of the 42 cathedrals in England. The list achieved so far includes Exeter, Wells, Worcester, Gloucester, Salisbury, Winchester, St Albans, Oxford, St Pauls, and Lincoln. I think technically I have been to, and indeed sung, evensong at a number of other cathedrals but that was before I came up with this silly idea so it doesn’t count!
Of course the observant amongst you will already be shouting at the screen and jumping up and down to tell me that St George’s Chapel is not a cathedral and surely I should have worked this out from the word Chapel in it’s title at the very least. I have no defence for this other than to say I was looking for a way to start this post and hopefully if you are still reading passed this point then the opening paragraph has served some small purpose.
So, onwards to the service of Evensong at St George’s last Saturday. As expected at this time of year, we were treated to a visiting choir, and on this occasion it was the RSCM Voices (South). This in no way put me off attending evensong and indeed my expectation was set perhaps a little higher than is sometimes the case for visiting choirs. Now again before more of you start shouting at me for potentially berating visiting choirs, that isn’t the intention at all. I have many a time sung in a Cathedral with a visiting choir, whether thats the Wells Cathedral Voluntary Choir or the Schola Aquae Sulis amongst others, so I am all for visiting choirs and always very keen to hear them sing.
The music for the service on Saturday was as follows:
- Responses – Rose
- Canticles – Jackson in G
- Anthem – Walker : As the Apple Tree
On the whole the service was enjoyable and the music well sung. If I am to dare be slightly critical, at one point the choir were not exactly together during the anthem and there were a few moments in the Jackson which may not have been quite what the composer intended. However, my purpose here is not to be a music critic but merely to share my experiences with you. So, despite not being a Cathedral and despite some of the notes being not quite placed where they were intended, it was a good service and worthy of a pin in the map showing the Quires and Places where they sing that I have been.