Recently in Christ Church Category
Ten Weeks
I finally decided just before Easter that I was going to hand in my notice at the cathedral choir. I’m now working out my notice, and I finish at the end of term in 10 weeks time.
There’s a myriad of reasons that sit behind my decision, but if you boil it down, I’ve just had enough. I’ve been at Christ Church for just over two years now, and it’s a very demanding role. And with an equally demanding day job, something had to give eventually. And so, in the middle of July I’ll be bidding a fond farewell to the choir - although I suspect I may be back from time to time to dep.
For the time being, I’m not planning on leaving Dublin or changing anything else in my life. And I’ve not yet lined up any other singing opportunity - but I guess there’s lots of time to find something, perhaps after the summer. And in the mean time, I’m looking forward to reclaiming my weekends, and finding out what ‘normal’ people do on their Sundays.
May 4, 2009
CD Released
The Howells CD I Love All Beauteous Things has finally been released on Signum Records.
Those of you with long memories will recall the recording sessions back in February, when the Christ Church Cathedral choir decamped to St Bart’s in Ballsbridge.
It’s taken a long time for the CD to come out, but I hear that it sounds really good. I haven’t secured my own copy yet, but I’m looking forward to listening to it.
Buy the CD from Amazon.co.uk - £11.69
Christmas Music
5.00pm, Sunday, 30th November
Advent Procession
Byrd Vigilate
Boles Adam lay y bounden
Piccolo Jesus Christ the apple tree
Goldschmidt A tender shoot
Parsons Ave Maria
Esquivel Veni Domine
Magnificat Noble in B minor
Weelkes Hosanna to the Son of David
Arr. Llewellyn Fum fum fum
Voluntary: Reger ‘Improvisation’; from Sonata No. 2 in D Minor
8.00pm, Wednesday, 10th December
Carols at Christ Church - Concert
4.00pm, Wednesday, 17th December
Live Broadcast of Choral Evensong on BBC Radio 3
Introit: Boles Adam Lay Ybounden
Walsh, Preces and Responses
Canticles: Howells Gloucester Service
Psalms 42, 43
Anthem: Maw Evening Hymn
Final anthem: Alan Smith There is No Rose
Voluntary: Durufle
3.30pm, Sunday, 21st December
Service of Lessons and Carols
arr. Parshall Enniscorthy Carol [IN IRISH]
Arr. Chilcott Gaudete
Bax (arr. Dawkes) There is no Rose
Tavener The Lamb
Palestrina O magnum mysterium
Arr. Chilcott Sussex carol
Walker Adam lay y bounden
Nelson Out of your sleep
Voluntary: Briggs Sortie on ‘In Dulci Jubilo’
8.00pm, Monday, 22nd December
Service of Nine Lessons and Carols
Walker Adam lay y bounden
arr. Parshall Enniscorthy Carol [IN IRISH]
Bax (arr. Dawkes) There is no Rose
S. Jackson Noel nouvelet
Nelson Out of your sleep
Tavener The Lamb
Arr. Chilcott Lully lulla
Warlock Bethlehem Down (arr.Hill)
Arr. Chilcott Gaudete
Arr. Chilcott Sussex carol
Handel And the glory
Arr. Hill Rocking
Tavener Christmas Proclamation
Voluntary: Briggs Sortie on ‘In Dulci Jubilo’
Tenor Vacancy
Appearing in today’s Church Times newspaper are details of a current vacancy for a Tenor Lay Vicar Choral at Christ Church Dublin, to commence as soon as possible.
If you’re interested in joining the choir, do get in contact with the Director of Music, Judy Martin.
Choir Calendar
If anyone’s interested, I’ve just updated the choir calendar to list all of the rehearsals, services and events for Christ Church choir from now up until Christmas.
Although this information might be useful for non-choir people, it’s probably going to be more useful for the Lay Vicars and Choral Scholars. The calendar does not included any details about the music being sung at services, or of any non-choir cathedral events. For that kind of information, you need to visit the Diary of Cathedral Events.
Organ Improvisation of Silent Movie
This Friday evening (20th June) there’s a live organ accompaniment of a silent movie in Christ Church, beginning at 9.00pm. The organ improvisation is provided by David Briggs, who’s rather good at this kind of thing. I remember very much enjoying last year’s event, when the same organist improvised along to the film Phantom of the Opera—which, although it had nothing to do with the Andrew Lloyd-Weber show, had the odd flash of homage to the more well-known stage musical.
This year’s screening is of the 1939 film The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and I’m hoping to be able to attend. That’s if I can get a ticket. They’re available free of charge (courtesy of the Temple Bar Cultural Trust who sponsor the event) from the Central Ticket Bureau (Phone: 0818 205 205). And if last year is anything to go by, it’ll be a really popular event.
Ordinations
This afternoon at Christ Church, we celebrated the ordination of 3 deacons within the diocese. This is the first of two ordination services taking place in the cathedral; the second of which being the ordination of priests next Sunday.
Both the services are quite special in their own way. However, for me the ordination of deacons seems like the more significant occurrence for those involved, as it’s the culmination of years of study and preparation, and it’s also the process that marks the final transformation of ordinary people to members of the clergy.
And as such, it was great today to have so many people in the congregation; there to support these people as they made this big step. We also had a lots from clergy from all over the diocese and beyond (including the Bishop of Cork) attending the service in support of their new colleagues.
The music for today’s service was:
- Processional Hymn: At the name of Jesus (Evelyns)
- Gradual Hymn: I, the Lord of sea and sky (Here I am, Lord)
- Gospel Fanfare: Tu es Petrus - Duruflé
- Litany Ending: Agnus Dei - Peter Hurford
- Hymn: Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire (Veni Creator)
- Offertory Hymn: O Jesus, I have promised (Wolvercote)
- Mass Setting: Missa Brevis - Lennox Berkeley
- Communion Instrumental Piece: Ruach - Anne-Marie O’Farrell ‡
- Communion Motet: Tu es Petrus - Robert Pearsall
- Communion Motet: Holy is the True Light - Harris
- Post-Communion Hymn: Pour out thy Spirit from on high (Warrington)
- Voluntary: Toccata from Vième Symphonie - Widor
‡ piece for three wind instruments, written specially for today’s service by one of the ordinands.
Rehearsal Weekend
This weekend the cathedral welcomes the visiting choir Exultate to sing its services on Saturday and Sunday, while the cathedral choir has one of its rehearsal weekends.
The rehearsal weekends normally take place twice a year; with the choir taking time off from its normal duties to prepare some of the more difficult pieces of repertoire for the coming months. It’s quite a gruelling processing, amounting to about 12 hours of rehearsal over the course of 2 days.
This time around we will be spending a significant about of time on preparing the Cloud of Unknowing by Francis Pott, for a concert performance at the end of term.
Installation
It’s an important night in the cathedral tonight, as we have the installation service for our new Dean, the Venerable Dermot Dunne.
Admission to the service is by ticket only, and we’re expecting a big crowd. There’ll be representatives from the diocese, and from across the southern province too - and a lot of extra seating has already been laid out to cope with the expected number of people.
Both the cathedral choir and girls choir are singing in tonight’s service at 8.00pm, which will an expanded form of Choral Evensong. Some of the music for the service was also chosen by the new dean.
- Introit: Bruckner Locus Iste
- Responses: Rose
- Canticles: Leighton Collegium Magdalenae Oxoniense
- Anthem: Purcel O God thou art my God
- Motet: Rose Surely thou hast tasted
- Voluntary: Langlais Fête
Half Term
There’s nothing happening on the musical front this week, as the cathedral choir are on a half-term break. We get a week’s holiday in the middle of every term, which is a welcome rest - especially this term, after a very busy Trinity Sunday (our patronal festival) weekend.
Last Friday we performed our annual summer concert called Let All The World In Every Corner Sing to a modest but appreciative audience. And then at evensong on Sunday we sang the world premier of Laus Trinitati, a piece specially commissioned from the famous organist and composer David Briggs.
A fair number of the music department seem to have taken this opportunity to get away for a few days, but I’ve still got my day job to go to, so I’m still in Dublin. However, I do have an excess of free time available on evenings and at the weekend, which is a novelty.
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