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A terrific weekend just passed accompanying Priory Voices singing in Coventry Cathedral. A loud organ when unleashed: and full of plenty of character, too.

Since September I’ve been Director of St Albans Cathedral Parish Choir.  An auditioned group as seen here.  New members welcome.  9.30am Service on Sunday and fortnightly Wednesday evening rehearsal.

Twitter: @StAParishMusic

I don’t have on Online Calendar that’s viewable, but here’s a look at December

1st

2nd 9.30am – Parish Eucharist, St Albans Cathedral; 6.30pm – Advent Procession and hosting Cathedral Music Trust Dinner in Lussmann’s

3rd 3.30pm – HABS Girls ABRSM exam rehearsal; 4.15pm – Accompany HABS St Catherine’s Singers; 8.45pm – Compline with Parish Choir in St Albans Cathedral

4th

5th 8pm – Parish Choir Rehearsal, St Albans Cathedral

6th 4.15pm  – HABS Girls – Accompany Senior Choir

7th 1.45pm – HABS Boys – Accompany Carol Service Rehearsal; 7.30pm – St Nicholas, Harpenden – Accompany Choir Practice

8th 9.45am-3.15pm – HABS Girls ABRSM Exams Accompanist; 4pm – Knebworth Community Choir Rehearsal; 7pm – Knebworth Community Choir Christmas Concert (accompanist)

9th 9.30am – Parish Eucharist, St Albans Cathedral; 5.45pm – St Nicholas, Harpenden – Carol Service Rehearsal

10th 10am – HABS Girls Junior Carol Service Rehearsal, 12.30pm – HABS Boys Carol Service Rehearsal in St Albans Cathedral; 2.30pm – HABS Boys Carol Service; 4.30pm  – Funeral Service planning meeting

11th 11.30am – Carol Service in St Paul’s, Chipperfield

12th 9.30am – HABS Girls Carol Service Rehearsal; 8pm – Parish Choir Rehearsal, St Albans Cathedral

13th 1.30pm – HABS Girls Junior Carol Service

14th 11am – Funeral, Little Gaddesden; 1.15pm – Funeral, Abbots Langley; 7.30pm – St Nicholas, Harpenden – Rehearsal

15th 9.30am Nativity Play Rehearsal, St Albans Cathedral; 12noon – Carols on the Hour with the Parish Choir, St Albans Cathedral; 2pm – Hertford Choral Society Rehearsal, All Saints’, Hertford; 7.30pm – Hertford Choral Concert

16th 9.30am – Parish Eucharist, St Albans Cathedral; 6.30pm – St Nicholas, Harpenden – Christmas Carol Service

17th 1pm – Funeral, St Nicholas, Harpenden

18th 5.40pm – Giving Organ Lesson at home

19th 12noon – Funeral, St Nicholas, Harpenden; 1.30pm – Giving Organ Lesson in Finchley; 3.30pm – Carol Singing, Strathmore Lodge Nursing Home

20th  12noon – Funeral of Alan Taylor MBE, my predecessor as Director of Music at Haberdashers – St Paul’s, Chipperfield

21st 10am – Funeral, St Mary-at-Finchley; 2.30pm – Funeral, St Nicholas, Harpenden; 7.30pm – Rehearsal, St Nicholas, Harpenden

22nd

23rd 9.30am – Parish Eucharist, St Albans Cathedral, 3.30pm – Carol Service Rehearsal, St Ethelreda’s, Hatfield; 6pm – Christmas Carol Service

24th 11pm – Midnight Mass, St Nicholas, Harpenden

25th 9.30am – Christmas Eucharist, St Nicholas, Harpenden

26th

27th 2pm – Wedding, St Nicholas, Harpenden

28th  37th  Wedding Anniversary

29th 4pm – Conduct RSCM Area Chamber Choir Evensong in St Albans Cathedral

30th 10am – Combined Eucharist in St Albans Cathedral; 4pm – Play for Carols in the Crossing, St Albans Cathedral

31st Day off

Long-standing member, Madge of St Peter’s, London Docks had her Requiem Mass today. Born in 1927, she had links going back to Father Wainright, a former Rector (1884-1929) and “name to conjour with” in the Anglo-Catholic world. New (2018) Rector Father Jonathan Beswick SSC took the service with Bp Robert Ladds SSC assisting. A full church  sang well and enjoyed the September sunshine.

A very pleasant Brompton cycle ride for me from City Thameslink station past St Paul’s Cathedral, Monument, Tower of London etc, plus return,  was much enjoyed, too.

I’m playing for three Battle of Britain Services this week, commemorating 100 years since the end of the First World War. Sunday 16th at 11.30am is in St Lawrence’s Church,  Abbots Langley and then 3pm in St Nicholas’ Harpenden.

The Post Office Rifles Service is also in Abbots Langley on Thursday 20th September at 2pm.  The Royal Mail Bristol Choir directed by David Ogden will lead the singing and perform a number of anthems.

An enjoyable singing weekend in St Albans Cathedral with the RSCM Area Chamber Choir which I started ten years ago.

Walmisley in D minor and  Stanford in B flat were the evergreen evening canticles. Britten’s Hymn to the Virgin, Byrd’s Sacerdotes Domini and Bairstow’s Save us, O Lord were the anthems and the Choral Eucharist was sung to Darke in F.  And what better Responses can you have other than those by Bernard Rose.

Next Evensong is on Saturday, 29th December at 4pm.

I’m delighted to have been appointed St Albans Cathedral Parish Organist and Director of the Parish Choir starting in September.

I have accompanied the Parish Eucharist on many occasions over the years and occasionally rehearsed and conducted the Parish Choir.  With Marie Price moving on as Director of Music at St Nicholas Church, Harpenden, I will take over responsibility for the choir which sings every Sunday at 9.30am and rehearses fortnightly.

Two of my former colleagues at Haberdashers, Alex Courtney (tenor) and Christopher Joyce (piano)  are giving a Song Recital in St Peter’s Berkhamsted on Friday 6th July at 1pm in aid of Save the Children and Magic Breakfast.

The poster is here  St Peters recital poster 

Do support them if you can!