Hail the Day!!!

Today has been undoubtedly the most profound day in my church music life, and how brilliantly timed too, because Next Sunday is Pentecost. Whitsun.

I have been trying to figure out, how I was going to write, What I was going to write, because I knew that today was going to be great for some time but as time went on and as today came, it hit levels nearly unexplainable!

So This Morning, at 10am, I was on the organ stool at St Peter's Weston Favell, this was only for the second time in my life, and any opportunity to do what I love best, at my home, It's a special privilege that's incredibly difficult to put into words.

For Me, now Ellie, this was a first, to not wear a suit, a shirt and my favourite tie, but the time I spent getting ready was worth it.

I was Full of nerves, and that is natural because being in this place, I want to be absolutely 100% perfect, more perfect than ever before.

Adding to these nerves, was the delight, excitement and anticipation that I would be heading into the choir stalls for Choral Evensong, whilst the incredible musician that is Vince Cross came to visit and took to the keys! Wow what a treat!

So, back a week or two, I composed an anthem, 'HAIL THE DAY' which is based on parts of Charles Wesley's words, which I have set to music. This is an anthem designed to blow the cobwebs away, on that very special day. I am not quite finished with it, mostly because I usually get to this stage where I've put pen to paper and found a finishing barline, I then find myself tearing it apart again and again. I set up a demo track of the harmonies, and scheduled for it to post to social media on Thursday but it failed, and I haven't sorted it since.

Most of this week was practice, practice, practice.And preparation. My Sunday performance was OK. It wasn't that perfection that I want, and I'll beat myself up later. I managed to successfully do a clean sweep of Music during communion, A communion hymn, and an improvisation on the hymn I had just played. - It's been a while since I've done that! I also managed to throw in one of Richard Lloyd's Last Verses. St. MAGNUS was the tune. Finishing off with Rawsthorne's ALLEGRO FESTIVO, and then 'the finger marathon' that is Thomas Arne's ALLEGRO.

Then, was the time for the APCM. This took it's usually 600 rounds of applause for great people doing great things, the usual boring formalities that must occur. During this meeting, I was nearly reduced to tears. I shall save this good news for another time, but it is a really great thing, and a real St. Peter's thing that will make our church the most welcoming church it has always been. This just is a level unexplainable! All I can say for now, is the most heartfelt Thank You, to the PCC for being Human, Genuine, and doing the most special thing that may mean so little to most, but means so much to many!

At 6pm it was time for Choral Evensong for Ascension. I was robed in Cassock, Surplice and GMS Hood. Before the service I listened to some lovely music, and as we stood for the first hymn, We were given the simple but effective introduction. Two notes. One in the right hand, and one in the left. - The First Line! I did the same earlier.

As Vince continued through the verses exquisitely, we came to the last verse, and I knew within two beats, it was another one of Richard Lloyd's. In fact. My Easter message, 'HE IS RISEN TODAY' I used Mission Praise for Jesus Christ is Risen today, which used this tune of LLANFAIR. The challenge of Smith's responses and a Psalm that I am not conducting, and Stanford in C which I haven't sung the Tenor line before, was testing, but then we got to the exciting part. Charles Wood's GOD OMNIPOTENT REIGNETH. Interesting stat- I've only ever sang Tenor in this one... RESULT! I think I will safely call the introduction to this piece, the 'Ready, Steady, Go Intro' And this evening, reminded me of my childhood. Ready, Steady, Go would have been announced in a particular way as a child, preparing for the short unexpected 'Go' - We did amazing! I couldn't keep my brain, voice, and mental metronome in sync, and couldn't even read the notes I should be reading! oops!

Choral Evensong ended with Crown Him with many Crowns. With an enormous descant, sung expertly by our sopranos! But I have to say, I wasn't a huge fan of this descant. It was too busy, too jumpy, and just didn't feel right. Following that, we heard C.S Lang's Prelude on 'Regent Square' followed by that corker of a Processional by William Mathias! I shall write more details about this in my next post! SEEK THOU THIS SOUL OF MINE

But for now folks,

its time for you to get a cuppa,

whilst I write the next part of this Ascension/Pentecost double header that has miraculously found its substance!

Ellie x