London – Christmas 2007
I attended two concerts, and five liturgies - all at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and St. Martin in the Fields.
General thoughts about the music and liturgy:
There’s a tremendous sense of practicality to this men and boy’s choir system. The men were out numbered by the boys every time – yet all the boys sing soprano. The make-up was usually 4 basses, 4 basses, 4 altos, 24 sopranos. No wonder the descants carry so well! I also noticed something else: similar to working with any children’s choir, the older singers tend to carry far more of the load than the younger ones – it seemed that the younger singers had more of an apprentice role, yet could carry out the high spots.
I did wonder, however – both Westminster and St. Paul’s had women priests presiding. But the choirs do not include women and girls. When?
The prayer offices were almost completely sung by the choir. Even the hymns did not receive much help from the congregation – although still very exciting. Canticles and Psalmody were sung in elaborate settings by the choir – very expressive and well sung.
I can’t imagine how they keep up with the literature demands. When I asked, they said that each rehearsal tended to be for the service coming up. They all read well – and have to have lots of interpretative things come automatically. Sounds good to me!
I also noticed that the dynamics seemed to be loud, and louder. This also may be practical. The spaces in which they sing are huge for that number of singers. They need to. Add to that, the basses and tenors had very bright tone, and almost always sang out full voice – as if there were four soloists in a section. This did not come at a price of blend, however – it works because of the spaces. During the rehearsal it was a different matter – the room was small – my ears hurt!
I also noticed the darker vowels of British pronunciation, along with the lack of “r” as in American English. God automatically becomes “Gawd” bringing in the corners of the lips creating a more elegant and rounder vowel. This is where we got it!
Travelogue:
Friday dinner and concert
Beginning Friday evening, not finding any concerts listed anywhere, I had an absolutely lovely meal in an all-glass restaurant on the top floor of a tower building along the banks of the Thames river. Across the river through the fog St. Paul’s Cathedral stood, extremely well lit. What a sight – larger than life! It was heaven sitting there with fabulous food, wine and view.
After savoring every bite (and drop) I walked towards the London Bridge and happened upon the Southwark Cathedral, where the Cathedral Choir was about to begin a concert. Perfect! I heard part one of Handel’s Messiah, and a set of carols – both those sung by the congregation and carol anthems sung by the choir. I got weepy hearing these sounds – Messiah sung by men and boys with chamber orchestra in the city where this work was first heard. The congregational singing at this event was full and exciting – I noticed how the congregation opened their mouths when they sang – jaw down singing produces a fuller sound, and they were not afraid. It was the last time I participated in good singing, however.
Following the concert I got almost hopelessly lost trying to walk what should have been a simple 6 mile walk back to the hotel. Eventually I found my way arrived back to the hotel full of eager anticipation of all the other events that were to come on this trip!
Saturday concert
Another serendipitous sense of timing occurred Saturday evening. Walking by St Martin in the Fields, I noticed a concert had begun 10 minutes prior. Six pounds ($12) and I got in. The only seats left were benches along the wall of the upper side balcony. Couldn’t see a thing, nor hear very well. When the choir started in singing “Winter Wonderland” rather poorly, I decided to leave to find some figgy pudding and scotch instead, even though I don’t do scotch.
From then on, however feasts only!!
Sunday, Fourth Sunday in Advent
In the morning I attended both Matins and Eucharist at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Everyone sat under the dome, around 200 of us in this huge space (the staff later told me that was a good number of people for that service). The choir sang in their usual place in the Choir – very distant from us, and actually somewhat muffled. That did not diminish the experience, however. They processed the whole length of the nave, (even though the nave itself was empty!) and it was thrilling.
In Matins the choir sang two Anglican chants, responses, two pieces of literature settings of canticles (by Dyson and Stanford). Amazing. Then in the Eucharist the men of the choir sang settings of the ordinary by William Byrd, a setting based on “Dixit Maria”. They sang the Introit, Kyrie, Sanctus and Agnus Dei. They also sang Franz Biebl’s setting of “Ave Maria” – one of my favorite pieces, although they sang it entirely full voice. Not much room for expression! For the Eucharist, the choir sat in a two row formation under the dome with the rest of us. A secondary altar was also there. Much more of a sense of community! Sermons in both services – by a Female priest.
All of this literature the day before Christmas Eve! And, that afternoon was the first time doing lessons and carols but I was saving that for Christmas Eve.
That afternoon another treat: Evensong at Westminster Abbey. I arrived early to be one of the first to get ushered to a seat. As we were led in we walked over the grave sites of Ralph Vaughan Williams, Henry Purcell, Charles Stanford, Edward Elgar and others, to be seated in “the Choir” – taking seats the choir did not need. My seat was right next to onee of the sopranos. Gregorian chant, four-part Anglican Chant, Magnificat by William Byrd, and an anthem by Francisco Guenero (16th century). Absolutely lovely. Again, however, all done by the choir. We did sing hymns, but they did most of the singing (as did I) – the service ended with the hymn “Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending” – at the end of which I “felt” the notorious 32’ reed in that magnificent organ.
Very bizarre space, however. The entire space is divided up – halfway up the nave is like a gate/ a fence – behind which is the choir, after which the transepts and high altar. No one sitting in the nave would ever be able to see anything. The sound certainly was everywhere, but not sight. Curious.
Christmas Eve
At 1:30 pm, Dec 24, as instructed, I knocked o0n the door at “5 Amen Court” looking for the administrator of the St. Paul’s cathedral choir. I had contacted them asking if I could sit in on a rehearsal – and they invited me to do so. A man answered the door – a very pleasant and helpful person – I said I was looking for Barbara Walters – is this 5 – Amen Court? He responded “You mean Debbra Walters?” (Dear God – why th is thing with me and names?!) “Yes” I laughed – Barbara is quite someone elase, isn’t she”. “Debbra is in 5c – below here – I’ll wait to be sure you findd her. He did, I found her, and went in. She was very gracious, and was waiting for me to escort me over to the cathedral rehearsal room early before the choristers arrived. I asked her if the director knew I was coming. “Yes,” she replied, “he’s the one who’s door you first wend to”. Gads. On our way to the cathedral, we walked past the line which had already formed for the 4:00 service of lessons and carols.
The chori room in in the basement of the cathedral – a rather small, cluttered, badly vented room with long wooden benches and stands for their music. The director arrived a few moments later, and again warmly greeted and welcomed me – “I should have figured out who you were earlier!” he said. I thanked him for letting me sit in.
The boys rehearsed from 2:00 until 3:15. The men were c oming at 3:30. The boys all arrived at once like a pack of tazmanian devils. Energy bouncing off those historic walls. A tough rehearsal – Haydn Mass settings of the ordinary of the mass for the Midnight Eucharist. They were wild and it was a tough go for the director in keeping their attention. The sound was amazing, though, as was their reading. Mistakes were immediately followed by a raised hand in confession. Their agility, sense of pitch, and feeling musical phrases with their entire bodies was amazing. They were definitely young boys on Christmas Eve, however. Difficult time focusing!
At the break, 3:15, all hell broke loose. Runnihng, poking, teasing, tears over a lost medallian – Boys afterall!!
They all vested, the men came and the rehearsal resumed as warm up for the service.
At that time I was ushered upstairs by Debbra, who had arranged for a front seat for me. The place was absolutely jammed. Thousands of people. I wondered if the boys would ever settle down enough to focus in on the service.
Just a few minutes after witnessing pandamoniam in the choir room, the time came and they began sounding and looking like totally focused professionals – and singing like angels.
The service began with the choir in the apse, out of sight – then processing as two choirs – one down each side, alternating singing stanzas of “Gaudete Chri8stus est Natus” (Piae Cantiones), ending at the entrance, in the center aislee. Following the reading of “Welcome All Wonders in One Night” they processed to “Once in Royal David’s City” – stanza one angelically sung by one of the boys (I had witness him getting coached prior during the pandamonious break). The procession gave me chills as the hymn grew and grew. As they appeared down the aisle, they were completely focused, confident and full voices. The final stanza with David Wilcock’s descant choked me all up.
Carols we have sung with National Lutheran Choir and Mount Olive followed, along with some I did not know of. Carols by Riutter, Reger, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Andrew Carter and David Wilcocks. Taverner’s “Godd With Us”, Bach’s “Break Forth” – all absolutely beautiful. It’s amazing to hear these pieces in this space, with the voicing for which they were written. It helps understand how they tick – how the breaths go, how the lines get out and into those spaces, how the organ interacts with them, etc. Very telling.
The postlude was Widor’s Finale to Symphony 6 (not the famous number 5) A thrilling piece – one to learn. What put me over the edge with the lump in the throat, however, was exiting the church through the wide-open HUGE main doors, and experiencing the sound of the tower bells – going full tilt, in celebration. It was definitely Christmas Eve. (It gets dark in London by about 3:30 in the afternoon) The lump took a long time to settle down.
After finding dinner, I went to Westminster Abbey at 9:00 pm for the 11:30 pm mass. A line had already formed outside the gate (it was about 32 degrees, damp – very icky). On hour-and-a-half later it was blocks long. 10:30 they ushered us in (shivering), and again walking over all those graves I got a seat in near the front of one of the transcepts. I could see the choir, and the high altar. Lucky!
The organ played a full 60 minute prelude! Some wonderful literature – early French, Bach, Messaien, Dupre – all wonderful to hear. I began thinking about what we could do at Mount Olive.
The service at 11:30 was absolutely beautiful. Being in the front, behind that divider, we could not see or hear the procession until it was near us. Incense, and all! The procession hymn was “O Little Town of Bethlehem” (To forest green, not the tune we sing with that text in the USA). The ordinary of the mass was a setting by Haydn (Missa Sancti Nicolai). The other hymns included “O Come All Ye Faithful”, While Shepherds Watched”, “Silent Night”, Hark the Herald Angels”, and more anthems in addition to all that. Beautifful liturgy.
Not many people sang, nor sat and stood at the right moments. I was defiantly amongst the “c and e” crowd – people looked at me for singing.
In this space, however, a Gospel procession made so much sense! That way they could read the word of god truly out amongst the people who couldn’t see the rest of the liturgy! The organist did some thrilling things for the improvisation – some very French style improves. (HMMM).
Following the liturgy, it was 1:00 am, and London had completely shut down. I was close enough to walk to the hotel, however. In bed by 2:00, up at 7:00 for my return flight, and back in Minneapolis for Christmas with the family by 3:30 that afternoon Minneapolis time!
What an era.
