Bury St Edmunds, 2012
In the brief moment of sunshine in April, Lincoln choir headed into the great unknown of Suffolk. Many of the choir expressed surprise there was anything east of London.
We sang two evensongs at the splendid Cathedral Church of St James and St Edmund. A huge renovation and restoration project has just finished at the cathedral; the finishing touches to the Gothic lantern tower were made in 2010.
For our first evensong we sang 17th-century music of the Smith Preces & Responses, Byrd’s anthem Sing Joyfully and his Second Service, which included some excellent solos from several choir members. The choir built up their stamina with the cathedral’s 46-verse psalm. Buoyed by the success of the service, we took a fascinating tour of the Greene King brewery, where we sampled some of Greene King’s finest ales. The following day began with a trip to Ickworth House, famous for its iconic rotunda. Some members of the choir enjoyed watching the historical actors in the roles of servants and kitchen maids in the servants’ quarters of Ickworth, while others spent some time strolling through the park, admiring the lambs.
For our second evensong, the Senior Organ Scholar, Joseph Mason, chose more modern repertoire: the Leighton Preces & Responses, the magnificent Collegium Regale setting of the canticles by Howells (in which the Junior Organ Scholar, James D’Costa, could put the two-year-old 3,500-piped organ through its paces), and Harris’ beautiful Faire is the Heaven. The sonorous acoustic of the cathedral made the experience even more memorable, particularly in the Howells and Harris.
Our thanks to the wonderful folk of Bury St Edmunds who welcomed us so warmly, particularly those at St Edmundsbury Cathedral and those who hosted members of the choir. Our particular thanks go to the Jennings family, and to Lincoln College alumni for their generous support. We were delighted also to meet those Lincoln alumni who came to the evensongs.
We sang two evensongs at the splendid Cathedral Church of St James and St Edmund. A huge renovation and restoration project has just finished at the cathedral; the finishing touches to the Gothic lantern tower were made in 2010.
For our first evensong we sang 17th-century music of the Smith Preces & Responses, Byrd’s anthem Sing Joyfully and his Second Service, which included some excellent solos from several choir members. The choir built up their stamina with the cathedral’s 46-verse psalm. Buoyed by the success of the service, we took a fascinating tour of the Greene King brewery, where we sampled some of Greene King’s finest ales. The following day began with a trip to Ickworth House, famous for its iconic rotunda. Some members of the choir enjoyed watching the historical actors in the roles of servants and kitchen maids in the servants’ quarters of Ickworth, while others spent some time strolling through the park, admiring the lambs.
For our second evensong, the Senior Organ Scholar, Joseph Mason, chose more modern repertoire: the Leighton Preces & Responses, the magnificent Collegium Regale setting of the canticles by Howells (in which the Junior Organ Scholar, James D’Costa, could put the two-year-old 3,500-piped organ through its paces), and Harris’ beautiful Faire is the Heaven. The sonorous acoustic of the cathedral made the experience even more memorable, particularly in the Howells and Harris.
Our thanks to the wonderful folk of Bury St Edmunds who welcomed us so warmly, particularly those at St Edmundsbury Cathedral and those who hosted members of the choir. Our particular thanks go to the Jennings family, and to Lincoln College alumni for their generous support. We were delighted also to meet those Lincoln alumni who came to the evensongs.
Joseph Mason, Organ Scholar (2010 - 2013)