The fourth Sunday in Lent is sometimes referred to as Refreshment Sunday – a day when the strictures of Lent are relaxed a bit. (It is also Mothering Sunday for those who keep that festival).
At St Mary’s tomorrow, our refreshment is coming in the form of some of the most lovely choral must that we sing here. Fr Vice Provost will be preaching on the Prodigal Child. And we’re adding one or two guest choristers into the mix.
Expect something special.
I always remember being told that the final “smoke” in the Stainer is meant to be the loudest note in Anglican choral music. I have no idea how that can possibly be qualified, and of course there are so many variables, but I still like to believe it’s true.
Thanks Duncan – http://www.kjv-only.com/unicorn.html has a list of them for those interested.
Cal – was thinking about you just the other day. I bet you’d know how to do deploy glitter canons for Corpus Christi.
I love the fact that the unicorn appears in the KJV bible about ten times. Who said scripture doesn’t contain mythic elements!
Fluttter ‘fetti has long been overlooked in the liturgy, I feel. I suspect you’d have to bribe your servers to sweep it up though – least favourite job.
The loudness of “smoke” probably depends on the choir singing it! I bet St Mary’s give it a good thump! 😉
On the subject of dragons…….we have some stylised ones hidden away in our Daniel Cottier stained glass at Pilrig St Paul’s in Edinburgh. I didn’t notice them for over three years despite having spent ages taking photographs of the windows. Cunningly hidden as I’m sure all dragons are!
The smoke was certainly wonderfully loud last night.
I see that Freda has new dragons, though they don’t seem particularly well hidden.
Cal – I hope very much that the skills that you are currently building up are at some time and in some place offered unto the Lord in the facilitation of the most holy, most glorious and most magnificent liturgy.
[Lesson learned from typing this comment – do not muddle up dragons and dragoons]
[May] the Holy and Blessed Trinity to protect us from religion that is dull or humorless.
AMEN!
Now Kelvin, you must have read my story of St Michael, and you know, perfectly well, that actually the great archangel is dragon-formed. THe horrid prodder with the lance is actually Lucifer.
Sounds fabulous. Impressed that you weren’t tempted to rename it EvenDrag!
What if your Dyson isn’t in D? Mine is probably more A below middle C.
I also like the idea of you all singing (a la The Clash) “I saw the Lord and the Lord won”.
@Cal – I heard that too, but got pooh-poohed when I remarked upon it. Glad to hear I’m not alone.
@Martin – St Mary’s choir do not thump. Lean upon, emphasise, give weight to, but never thump. Nor, for the psalmody aficionados out there, do they gabble.
Still reeling a bit from Holy Week and Easter, which were fantastic. Holy Week makes muscles hurt which never hurt in the same way at any other time of the year. There is nothing finer in the world than singing the Easter Exsultet and the gospel alleluias within a congregation that has journied to the…
People to see. Hymns to be sung. Feet to wash.
It has been extraordinary watching the story about the Scottish Episcopal Church roll around the world today. One story in the Herald on Tuesday which in itself was not saying that much and suddenly it gets picked up and hurled around the globe, even though the bishops’ statement was in the public domain days ago.…
No sermon this morning as it is Palm Sunday. We read one of the Passion Narratives instead of a sermon. This year, it was the Passion according to Matthew. And for the first time, I asked the congregation, as the Body of Christ to read the words of Jesus whilst I read the rest. Worth…
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