Ripon

First look at Ripon Cathedral, where we sang evensong and the next morning's Eucharist.

"The Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Wilfrid, commonly known as Ripon Cathedral, and until 1836 known as Ripon Minster, is a cathedral in Ripon, North Yorkshire, England. Founded as a monastery by monks of the Irish tradition in the 660s, it was refounded as a Benedictine monastery by St Wilfrid in 672. The church became collegiate in the tenth century, and acted as a mother church within the large Diocese of York for the remainder of the Middle Ages. The present church is the fourth, and was built between the 13th and 16th centuries. In 1836 the church became the cathedral for the Diocese of Ripon." -- Wikipedia

Rehearsal

Rehearsal in St. Mary's chancel, Stamford.

Pipe Organ

 

 

 St. John the Baptist's Church late 19th century pipe organ

 

Harrison & Harrison Organ

"Norwich Cathedral has one of the largest pipe organs in the country, with the organ featuring an incredible 5,767 pipes that range from 32 feet to just an inch long.

 

In November 2023, the organ was reinaugurated after a complete rebuild by Harrison and Harrison of Durham and is now considered one of the finest instruments of its kind in the country." -- Norwich Cathedral

Practice

Yeah, posting rather late, I know. But I've either been practicing on my own today or rehearsing with the choir this afternoon, all afternoon. By the way, I just learned that they'll be live-streaming the choral evensong at Norwich Cathedral late Thursday afternoon (GMT) and that the service will still be available to download for several days afterward, in case anyone is interested. We'll also be singing for services in Ripon, Ely and Cambridge.

Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

If music is indeed food for the soul, then I was well fed yesterday. Sang for two morning services and choral evensong. Almost everything the choirs sang was music that we will be taking with us to England, including a couple of pieces composed especially for us. Busy week ahead as I prepare to be away for a while. Rehearsals, haircut, and a quick trip to the dentist.

Oh, and did you read about Trump ordering the Treasury Department to stop producing pennies?! So will everything now be rounded up or down to the nearest nickel? My bet is that we'll be rounding up. Inflationary? And what will I do now with all the pennies I've got stashed away in various places around the house?

Pentel

Just bought this Pentel mechanical pencil. Crucially, it fits my choir folder. Choir members are forever marking up their music. First test will be later today for for both a performance and rehearsal.

Thanksgiving

I don't know how most Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. From what I've been able to gather, though, I'm guessing a lot of it has to do with travel, food, family, friends, and, of course, for many, football. 

For me, for as long as I can remember, it's been mostly about music. Since I was old enough to read, I've been singing in choirs of various sorts and sizes. This year has been no exception. Last night I sang McCullough's For the Fruit of All Creation for a congregation of some two hundred souls. So if I had to say what I'm thankful for this year, it's that--both the opportunity and the ability to sing with a choir.

How about you? What are you thankful for this year?

Cantique

 

So I've started work on Fauré's Cantique, which means my going through the proper French pronunciation of the lyrics line by line with the help of a coach for whom French is her native language. So many subtle distinctions in vowel sounds! 

Epiphany 2024

 

Happy Epiphany everyone! Kind of sad to see all the Christmas decorations coming down, but I know there's lot more to look forward to in 2024. So buckle up and let's go! :-)

Mendelssohn

 

Okay, so this is going to be a little bit of a stretch for Skywatch Friday. But since I am spending so much time indoors this week preparing for an upcoming performance of Mendelssohn's "There Shall a Star from Jacob", I thought it was worth it. Right? After all, the magi, whoever they were, were certainly "skywatchers". So, anyway, that's my pitch. :-)

Severikirche Pipe Organ

Severikirche, Erfurt