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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’
November 24, 2008
Twelve drummers drumming
As it’s 12th night tonight, I suppose I should extract my digit and finish taking the Christmas tree down. I already stripped the decorations off just before dinner, but I think I might leave the lights on it when I pack it away in it’s box (it’s a plastic tree).
This year’s timely activity on the last day of Christmas is a distinct improvement upon a couple of years ago, when the tree remained in the corner of front room till the end of February - and the garland on the mantelpiece stayed in place all year! Luckily they were both plastic too, else they would no-doubt have turned quite brown and started to smell.
A merry little Christmas
Have yourself a merry little Christmas, Let your heart be light From now on, our troubles will be out of sightHave yourself a merry little Christmas,
Make the Yule-tide gay,
From now on, our troubles will be miles away.Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.Through the years
We all will be together,
If the Fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
And have yourself A merry little Christmas now.
Christmas preparations
As of this morning, I have a new-found respect for my mother - not that I didn’t respect her before. It’s just that the high level of previous respect has shot up to an even greater level.
This is the first year that I’m not due to celebrate Christmas in my parent’s home (I’m being careful with language here, as my folks have moved house twice since I ever lived with them - so where they live is not really my home). Instead they’re coming here to Dublin.
It made sense to invite them over, because I need to stay in Dublin to fulfil my singing duties at the cathedral up until and including Christmas morning. And rather than my sit crying into my microwave turkey dinner all on my own (which would never have happened - I’ve already turned down 2 offers of Christmas dinner from friends, and would no doubt have got more), I thought it would be nice for them to come to me. And it would give me the opportunity to play host for once, and perhaps take some of the pressure off them. After all, despite their spry appearance, they are both pensioners.
The thing I didn’t really appreciate was the amount of work that goes into preparing for Christmas. There’s the preparation of the house - tidying and cleaning - and the purchase of all the food, and all those ‘extras’ like crackers.
I was at Marks and Spencer at 9.30am this morning picking up my turkey, as well as a whole load of other food. And as I write this at about 11.00am, I’m contemplating a further two food shopping trips today. It doesn’t help, of course, not owning a car. I can’t just fill a trolley and dump it in the boot - whatever I buy I need to be able to carry home (without my arms dropping off).
Anyway, I feel that I’m beginning to ramble now - and that’s probably because I’m trying to avoid having to go out again. But I suppose I should switch off the computer and get going - and hope that I find the strength to battle through the crowds in the city centre.
Thank goodness all my present buying is completed.
Carol service
I’m a bit sick of Christmas carols. Tonight was the second of our two carol services at the cathedral. On Sunday afternoon we had a couple of hundred people at our Five Lessons and Carols, and tonight we had a full house of about 500 folk for the diocesan Nine Lessons and Carols. This comes on top of the sell-out Christmas concert last Wednesday night.
It’s great to sing for such large congregations, particularly in comparison with some mid-week Evensongs where we only get a handful or people. But with so many people in the congregation, the music does get very loud.
In some of the congregational carols this evening, our organist was joined by two trumpets and a set of timps, which on top of all the singers, was a deafening sound.
Today (whatever day it is)
Today it was the five lessons and carols at the cathedral. And tomorrow it’s the nine lessons and carols.
I’m beginning to lose track of the different Christmas services and concerts. And I’ve certainly lost track of what day of the week it is. It doesn’t help (of course) that I’m off work at the moment, and thus have no point of reference for the week. Last Wednesday felt like a Saturday, Thursday felt like a Friday, and Saturday felt like a Sunday. So it’s no wonder that I’m confused.
Anyway, the Christmas music is in full flow at the moment. It feels like we’ve done an awful lot of singing in the last couple of weeks, but also have a lot more still to come. At the moment I still do have one evening free (Friday) between now and Christmas Day, and plan to guard it jealously - just so that I can have a whole day without having to sing any carols.
Saturday singing
Today was an interesting one, full of music.
At lunchtime a group of us met up at the Old Jameson Distillery and sang some Christmas carols in the entrance hall, to entertain all the visitors. And in return, the generous management of the distillery gave us some free food and drinks.
And then at Evensong later that afternoon, we had the TV cameras in from RTÉ. Our Director and Assistant Director of Music were interviewed for the telly about their preparations for Christmas, and apparently they also wanted to film the choir singing as well - so we ended up having this camera crew wandering up and down the south transept during the service, which was a little bit distracting.
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