From the desk of the Director of Music - The Cathedral Chimes Article - Lent/Easter 2013

As I write, the cathedral musicians are enjoying the slightly less hectic music schedule between the very busy Advent and Christmas season and their preparations for the equally busy Lent, Holy Week and Easter season.

Personally, I would like to thank the choir for the energy and commitment with which they undertook the very many extra hours to lead the worship at St Paul’s - this was one of the tiring years in the cycle with two services falling on the Sunday of Advent 4, followed immediately by two services late into Christmas Eve and yet another on Christmas morning (with minimal sleep opportunity in between). Of course, they undertake their role with dedication and good humour, but our thanks are due to them nonetheless.

In the middle of this welcome pause comes our Patronal Festival weekend at the end of January which we will celebrate with a full choral Eucharist (Herbert Howells Communion Service Collegium Regale for King’s College, Cambridge) on the morning of Sunday, January 27th and Diocesan Choral Evensong, with guest preacher The Reverend Kate Hathaway, at 5:00 p.m. in the afternoon of that Sunday (Stanford Canticles in A, Edward Bairstow Blessed City, Heavenly Salem - two of the pillars of cathedral choral music).

We are delighted, at the Patronal Evensong, to be presenting the première of a choral setting of the Lord’s Prayer, composed for our choir late in 2012 by H. Barrie Cabena and designed to go with the setting of the Preces and Responses that he wrote for Angus Sinclair and the Cathedral Choir in 1997. Looking forward, the choir is hard at work preparing for the Music and Readings for Passiontide on the afternoon of Sunday, March 24th at 4:00 p.m. which will take place again in the wonderful acoustic of Cronyn Hall and will feature parishioners reading selected texts to go with the music.

Beyond that we have the very exciting Three Cathedrals Choral Festival (threecathedralsfestival.ca) at the beginning of May (Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th) - and I’d like to thank the choir in advance for the considerable work involved in this major new project and outreach opportunity from the cathedral, and also the dedicated Steering Committee that is helping me put this event together. We very much hope that the cathedral community will come out to support this addition to London’s cultural, arts and tourism calendar.

And, just as we take breath after the Festival, the choir will be hard at work again, preparing for the two week residencies at Chichester and Winchester Cathedrals from August 16th to September 2nd. We are delighted that following on the wonderful relationship that been developing over the last year or so between our choir and the choir of St Paul’s Cathedral, Buffalo, the two cathedral choirs will be travelling to England together and spending these two weeks of residency singing, socialising and exploring the local areas – Stonehenge is, of course, the major tourist attraction in the area.

In addition to all these major musical performances, we continue apace with our valued diocesan work and will be singing evensong in another five parishes (as far apart as Owen Sound and Oldcastle) between the end of February and the middle of June. We have also already been asked to visit three parishes early in the 2013-2014 academic year, so this outreach ministry is clearly welcomed by our diocesan family and has the full support of Bishop Bob - a number of parishes we have already visited over the last three years have asked us to return for a second evensong, so the schedule is already filling up for next year.

Of course, these are all additional events which have been added to the choir’s main role and mission, which is to support, lead and enhance the worship of the community here at St Paul’s. Without this weekly round of liturgy within the cathedral community, the choir would not be able to undertake all these outreach projects and I’m sure the choir will not hesitate to join me in thanking you all for your constant support and encouragement as we travel the pilgrim road together.

January 2013