SPCK

Originally uploaded by nilexuk.

SPCK, the Christian bookshop have a stall and a noticeboard in the Festival club which proudly boasts they can get any book in print.

I’m very tempted to try ordering something utterly filthy.

Banned from evensong

Originally uploaded by nilexuk.

I was late for evensong because I’d been standing outside one church telling concert goers the event was actually taking place elsewhere.

When I got back to the cathedral, they wouldn’t let me in! Tonight’s evensong is being recorded by BBC Radio 3 and will be broadcast on Wednesday, the day after tomorrow, in the regular slot. So the cathedral was sealed by heavies, aka the vergers, and latecomers were not admitted.

Sir Edward Elgar

Originally uploaded by nilexuk.

Resident of Hereford 1904-1911, according to the plinth under the statue. No mention of the other, neighbouring city he’s also associated with.

I don’t like Howells

Originally uploaded by nilexuk.

Not Will, but Herbert, who wrote rather a lot of fiendishly difficult choral music. I don’t like it because it’s often too high, too much in unison, very difficult to get right and not all that rewarding when you do.

Unfortunately, our director wrote his doctoral thesis on Howells, met the man and is his number one fan, so we tend to have rather a lot of his music. Last year in St Paul’s, barely a night went past and we finished on the ghastly Exultate Deo.

This year we have but one piece, a Hymn to St Cecelia, which actually isn’t too bad. It is still too high, has several unison verses, and weird intervals, so I’ve been amusing myself by singing about mucous rather than music. “through the cold aftermath of centuries / cecelia’s mucous dances through the skies”

Fits the music much better.

I don’t like Howells

Originally uploaded by nilexuk.

Not Will, but Herbert, who wrote rather a lot of fiendishly difficult choral music. I don’t like it because it’s often too high, too much in unison, very difficult to get right and not all that rewarding when you do.

Unfortunately, our director wrote his doctoral thesis on Howells, met the man and is his number one fan, so we tend to have rather a lot of his music. Last year in St Paul’s, barely a night went past and we finished on the ghastly Exultate Deo.

This year we have but one piece, a Hymn to St Cecelia, which actually isn’t too bad. It is still too high, has several unison verses, and weird intervals, so I’ve been amusing myself by singing about mucous rather than music. “through the cold aftermath of centuries / cecelia’s mucous dances through the skies”

Fits the music much better.

Don’t know

Originally uploaded by nilexuk.

Don’t know if you’ll be able to see the detail of the man climbing around the spokes of this enormous great wheel.

I wouldn’t have seen him at all if I hadn’t left my security pass in my car and had to go back to pick it up, wasting a further ten minutes before matins at 1045. I’ve already lost plenty of time to getting lost, and parking in the first available space which is miles in the wrong direction, and having had to stop to buy chocolate in order to have the right number of pound coins to park.

I left in plenty of time.

It’s going to be a hectic day: three services, with varying degrees of loud and complicated music. That should be done by 6pm, at which point I have to drive the 150 miles to Hereford ready to be able to sign on at the Three Choirs bright and early tomorrow.

Don’t know

Originally uploaded by nilexuk.

Don’t know if you’ll be able to see the detail of the man climbing around the spokes of this enormous great wheel.

I wouldn’t have seen him at all if I hadn’t left my security pass in my car and had to go back to pick it up, wasting a further ten minutes before matins at 1045. I’ve already lost plenty of time to getting lost, and parking in the first available space which is miles in the wrong direction, and having had to stop to buy chocolate in order to have the right number of pound coins to park.

I left in plenty of time.

It’s going to be a hectic day: three services, with varying degrees of loud and complicated music. That should be done by 6pm, at which point I have to drive the 150 miles to Hereford ready to be able to sign on at the Three Choirs bright and early tomorrow.

Welcome

Originally uploaded by nilexuk.

welcome to my humble home. I’ve saved you the best dragonfly.

Other cat-at-castle pics here. And a bit of an explanation here.

The Dungeon

Originally uploaded by nilexuk.

The Dungeon is not the best reheasal room we’ve ever had. It’s a little dark. I suppose if they don’t think we’re good enough, it’s much easier to stop us getting into the chapel from here.

Tormenting the Guard

Originally uploaded by nilexuk.

Yesterday, I saw a toddler run into the sentry box, and clutch the soldier’s trousers while he stood stock still. Everyone gets a quick photo. But how good a sentry can he be if he really doesn’t react to his surroundings? If he came under attack, would he still just stand there?