now boarding

Where to sit at the Advent Procession?

Bit of a strange title I admit, but it is an interesting question for the dedicated Chorister Family. Here's why.

This year will be our fifth and final Christmas as Chorister Parents and it presents quite possibly the very best musical feast you could imagine. There's the midnight mass and the perenial 'will our boy be caught yawning' question; the excitement and stamina of Christmas Day itself; the musical magic of Britten and Handel and the lighter entertainment of the Celebration; and then there are the two Advent Processions.

Musically more testing than the traditional carol services (and arguably richer) they're repeated over two evenings, I'm guessing to supply the huge demand. It's a good and long-ish service and one that sees the day pupils and the famous candle-lit procession.

But the question exists; where to sit?

The Cathedral is kind enough to reserve seats and organise tickets for us, which we sould remain grateful for, and for the Advent service our tickets are reserved for the usual Evensong spots in the Quire.

Which would be fine but the Choir is not actually in the Quire until about 3/4 of the way though the service. They start at the west end processing slowly through the Cathedral pausing to sing as they make their way eastwards.

The first year we attended (2009) and sat in the quire, we spent a large part of the service feeling just a little left out, although recompensed when the choir reached their final seats. I think it was the second year when one of the Wandsmen suggested that the best spot might in actual fact be somewhere around the middle of the Cathedral at the top of the nave where it meets the dome. The photo above shows the choir singing at this point and it was possible to sit even closer to the boys than usual. You also get to hear O Adonai up close, an eery, multi-textured piece with stunning bass and treble parts that cleverly uses the space.

So the middle of the Cathedral then? Well, the current Chapter have made a few changes to some of the services and I'd anticipate continued experimentation, and until we see the order of service, who knows.

Where to sit then? You decide. 

Of course if you're going to both processions you could have the best of both worlds...

  

 

First half of term.

After the full-on month of advent and all the Christmas services, and a good couple of weeks holiday, the winter term approaches with all the regularity that business as usual brings.

We've been very busy as a family since Christmas trying to move house, hence the lapse in posts, so here's a brief overview of some of the things that have happened.

Christmas Day
Our second Christmas spent at the Cathedral, Tom has a hectic schedule (which I'll describe later) and we end up collapsing in a heap back home around 5.30 in the evening. What's nice is that for us, having our family day on boxing day, added to the festive warm up of activities, services and concerts, means that christmas is warmly long and gradual, enabling us to savour the spiritual aspect of this time of year. 

Settling back in
Tom goes from strength to strength and the beginning of this term was his best ever, I know he'd agree that. He helped with packing and organising and there was barely a tear on returning to school.

Radio 3 Broadcast
Every year around the time of St. Paul's day, choral evensong is broadcast live from the Cathedral. Apart from the microphones everywhere it's business as usual for the boys.

Parents Evening
There are some teachers we barely get the chance to see, or indeed have never met before, so the parents evening is a great opportunity. And of course to hear how Tom's doing. Here too he seems to be going from strength to strength. Possibly as his confidence in the choir and with boarding rises, his school work reflects this.

Games Workshop trip
One Saturday I took five of the boys to Games Workshop on Oxford Street. They loved it. They really are a great bunch, working and playing together and supporting each other in a way that would put many adults to shame. 

300th Anniversary Gala
A big concert this one, to celebrate the Cathedral's 300th year of completion. John Rutter conducted and Andrew Carwood, the director of music, sang Tenor. 

Cello
We knew Tom was enjoying his cello but we weren't quite prepared when his teacher told us just how much potential she believes he has (echoed by the schools director of music). The plan is for him to take his grade 2 exam this spring but then skip straight to grade 5. this also means we need to prepare for the purchase of decent instruments, so long as, as his teacher puts it, he doesn't decide to give it up and play rugby.

A new year 5 chorister
Tom is joined by a new probationer after half-term, boosting the numbers in his year to four! Eight seems to be average. For a couple of terms, Tom was the only chorister in his year.

 

Midnight Eucharist

I really don't know how the boys do it. Christmas Eve's midnight Eucharist started at 11.30 and didn't finish until 1.00am. The boys sung beautifully but must have been exhausted; in fact when I spoke to Tom afterwards, he said that one of his year mates didn't make it as he was 'too sleepy'.

That said Tom was on a bit of a high, full of energy and looking forward to later on in the morning.

It's that wonderful mix of solid professionalism and young boy.

The Cathedral does feel very Christmassy, complete with lit tree above the West end pediment, the formal and informal although I'm getting to be a little ambivalent about some of the carols, I wonder what the Choristers think.

So we'll see him at the 11.00 Eucharist, that'll be just 10 hours since he sang his last. Then it'll be Christmas lunch with all the Chorister Parent families, followed by Festal Evensong, then end of term. Phew.

Happy Christmas!

Vision of a choir at work

The Cathedral has started posting a few photos of life at St Paul's online and this is a particularly fine example, it was taken as the choir were singing O Adonai during this year's Advent service.

 As photography is not allowed in the Cathedral, these images are rare and valuable, especially if your son is in them.

 

O Adonai and Advent

And now begins Advent; starting with two Advent processional services and culminating in two services on Christamas day itself via Handel's Messiah and Britten's Ceremony of Carols. All this in addition to the daily rhythm of Cathedral services. No wonder that the nurses work overtime to ensure that absences are kept to a minimum.

These additional services, ceremonies and concerts are hugely popular and the usually unfurnished North and South aisles are set out with seats for the few thousand who will attend, listen and worship.

The first Advent took place last night and our favourite Anthem is the Antiphon, O Adonai.

The choir breaks into two; boys and men's voices, each under the north and south transepts. Tom explained the boys' rather unique improvised performance.

"... the piece has a section which is is divided into five phrases, when the conductor brings you in you sing one phrase, whichever one, and you must have a five second break in between. You keep singing in your own order, so say you could do phrase two, phrase four or phase one then phrase five. When the conductor puts his hand up, you complete the rest of the phrases, then stop."

"... There's a solo at the beginning, and he sings all five sections of the phrase all through, then we start our orders, then once everyone's stopped, the soloist sings another solo but higher. Last night Hugh hit a top C, and that was quite amazing."

"The vicars Choral just sing the whole piece altogether, straight through."

Technically it might sound a little tricky, messy even but the experience is awesome. Add the natural acoustics of the dome, a deep and resonant bass solo and the result is truly breathtaking.

 

 

 

 

The Lord Mayor's Show

Not sure if you'd class this as a perk of the job or 'just another day at the office' but every year, the Lord Mayor's Show parades through the City and right past the Cathedral so that the new Mayor can be blessed by the Dean on the Cathedral steps.

The boys quite literally get a grandstand view of the parade before popping their surplices and medals on for the brief ceremony; they're joined by the School Chamber choir plus the Dean and Chapter in all their finery.

After the parade there's a funfair in the churchyard for those boys who stay in and for those lucky enough to be able to pop home, it's a 1pm-7.30 leave.

Worth a coming down to watch plus the Cathedral's open all day for sightseeing at no charge. Here are just a few pictures...

 

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Orchestral Mass and the growing choir...

Great to see the Probationers 'acting up' in to the full choir and what a weekend too. Saturday was the School Summer Fair, albeit bracketed by two rehearsals whilst Sunday was the second orchestral Mass.

I remember when Tom spent his first weekend in the Cathedral, very exciting for us and especially for Tom as all of the parts of the jigsaw puzzle began to fit into place. New timings, arrangements and for us, the beginning of weekend services at the Cathedral.

We actually missed the summer fair on Saturday as we had a family wedding, one of the few reasons that Choristers are let off their duties. Pity to miss the fair (Tom had planned a stall with one of his mates), although early reports are that we did well and all had a good time. As a member of the school PTA I had organised the raffle tickets as this was one of the few tasks that could be completed in advance of the day. The fair is our main fund raising activity of the year and the raffle key to that; although looking at the numbers the children's stalls actually raised more than the raffle (and their efforts go straight to a Children's charity).

Due to the wedding, we had a very early start Sunday as Tom needed to get back for a 09.15 rehearsal. Because the 11.00 service was with orchestra, the rehearsal took place in the School hall (not the smaller Cathedral rehearsal room); and as mum took him back she was able to take a little peek at the session from the gallery. In the two years Tom has been at St. Paul's, we've never seen a rehearsal; it really does happen behind closed doors. The boys are in School Uniform (no tie) and the gentlemen are the professional Vicars Choral who provide the Alto, Tenor and Bass. Hugely talented all of them and along with the organist and Director of Music makes St. Paul's Cathedral Choir one of the finest in the World.

   

The mass was Mozart's Missa Solemnis in C (K.337) as part of the July series celebrating the genius of Mozart, performed with the City of London Sympnonia. Truly remarkable and awesome, especially given the setting under the great dome.

Two of the boys sang solos, standing, metaphorically, head and shoulder with the male Vicars Choral soloists. Amazing to see how these young lads of 11 and 12 years of age take this in their stride.

In a break from our tradition of sitting closest to the Choir on Sunday mornings (for the Eucharist they sit under the dome, not in the Quire), we sat directly opposite them across the dome so they were singing straight at us, as it were. It might have looked something like this. 

After a wonderful lunch in the Crypt restaurant, it was off to Evensong at 3.15. Along with Tom's Uncle (himself an ex-Chorister) and Nannie and Gramps, we sat in the quire stalls with a great view as the Choir took their places. Now with 5 or 6 probationers acting up, there were 12 boys on Decani; room for a few more, but not many. The Pros in their black Cassock and stiff white Ruff looked very wonderful; and in September they'll receive their white surplice and be made up to full Chorister just like Tom did last year.

End of term, Holy week, Easter.

And all of a sudden it's the end of the winter term and Easter holidays. Seems like only yesterday we were driving home on Christmas day and here we are at Good Friday.

As the exact date of Holy week and Easter varies from year to year, it's impact on Choristers varies. Most clearly for Tom is the fact that this year, 'We stay at school and the other children go home'. True - for day pupils it's end of term but for the Choristers, it's the Church's most important time and service sin the Cathedral come thick and fast. Luckily for him this year Easter weekend is right at the beginning of the school break but a late Easter can mean a week or two off school then a return for much of Holy week before the balance of the school holiday.

 
Tom's Easter card to us - in french! 

Anyway, as a year 4 3rd desk, it's tom's first proper Easter and unlike last year, we're pretty much attending every service.

A couple of week's ago was a midweek concert of Bach's St. John Passion. These performances are world class. Don't miss them. Most recordings seem to be in German, but the massed choir sung in English which I must say helped the storytelling no end. In fact Tom remarked that he enjoyed the Passion more than Messiah because he could follow the story. For an English recording, go to Amazon and Benjamin Britten's performance featuring Peter Pears and the Wandsworth School Boy's Choir.

The day before the last day of say a concert from all the music groups at a nearby city church. Tom played in the string group, before a wonderful variety of music groups; recorder, brass, guitar and 'big band'. The stand out for me was the newly formed guitar group's rendition of Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here.

 
 Tom and the string group performing French Folk Tune and Boogie Bass

That was part of the school's regular programme of music but you can see a complete schedule of Holy week services at the Cathedral here:

Download St Pauls Holy Week 2010 

Most are performed by the full Cathedral choir but a few are sung by just the Vicars Choral - chiefly to give the boys a break. For an idea of just how much the boys sing, and indeed what they sing, here's the holy week music list:

Download Music list 21 march

Ash Wednesday and consummate professionalism

You have to hand it to these boys - such consummate professionalism.

Tom had been sick with a tummy bug the weekend before - and one or two other boys too - but all he could think of was singing Alegri's Miserere mei at the Ash Wednesday Eucharist.

They sang it during the imposition of the ashes. Absolutely awesome complete with the 4 soloists tramping up the stairs to sing from the whispering gallery.

Here's former Choir Master Barry Rose talking about the piece in 1987.

Unfortunately just as one of the boys was hitting the top note one of the other choristers down at floor level was taken ill and sat himself down, looking whiter than his surplice, poor lad. They seem to be falling like nine pins at the moment.

On a happier note, the day also happened to be tom's mum's birthday and after first seeking permission from the head of boarding, we all went off to the local Pizza Express for supper.

Only a few more days to go then half term. Only a shame it doesn't coincide with his sister's...

Magnificat solo for the Cathedral's youngest Chorister.

Yes, he did it bless him and beautiful it was by all accounts.

Tom sang two lines from Byrd's second service Magnificat (the solo is at about 2 mins 42 secs):

As he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his seed for ever.

Mum saw his afterwards and he was pleased as punch and promptly performed a magic trick with a 5p piece. Quite normal then.

So just over a year from he soloing at our local church's Christingle and Carol services, he's now performing solos at one of the world's most recognised Cathedral's. Not so normal then.