Delighted to report that my choir sang beautifully at a lovely Ash Wednesday service, leading the congregation in chanting Psalm 51. It was my first Ash Wednesday at Holy Trinity, and I am told we had a larger turnout than usual. Charles Turner concluded the service with a delicate shakuhachi solo.
Rehearsal last night saw strong attendance, and good work. We read through a number of scores for the first time, including my arrangement of Kingsfold, with the Palm Sunday hymn text which was the original occasion for creating the arrangement. (Being singers of good taste, my choir do like it.)
We still need some more music to carry us up to Easter, and as I was poking through my folders for the traditional Russian Stikheron for Pascha, I chanced upon the hymn-carol I had composed for the November 2003 Evensong at St Paul's (the occasion of the première of Nuhro), with the Lenten text I plugged in for the March 2006 Evensong. I think there's a good chance my "new" choir can handle it, with just a little work.
Yay team! Perhaps the choir will become disciples of works by Karl Henning and start spreading the word!
ReplyDeleteI think my Pascha nostrum would be too much for them this season; but perhaps next!
ReplyDeleteFor Good Friday, I am thinking of an easy-ish arrangement of "My Lord, What a Morning."