Southwark Cathedral
Mon 02 - Sun 08 August 2021
Information last updated on 02 August 2021
Next visit: Ipswich Minster -> 23rd-24th May 2026
Information last updated on 02 August 2021
This is our annual summer week residency.
Members: sign up on Muzodo
Non-members: contact Ed
All singers on this visit are asked to take a lateral flow test at the start of each day, before attending rehearsal. These can be picked up for free at most chemists or you can arrange to have them delivered to your home for free.
Hand sanitizer will be available in the Song School. You may also be asked for your temperature on arrival. Please wear a mask when not in the Song School or Quire stalls.
Sopranos:
Barbara
Susan A (Mon-Fri)
Katie (Sat-Sun)*
Debs
Heather
Anna
Rachael (Mon-Fri)
Lynne
Altos:
Sylvia
Margaret
Anne
Jane
Debs P (Fri-Sun)*
Sally
Tenors:
Geoff Q
Graham S
Peter
Ashley (Tues-Sun)
Geoff Wh (Sat-Sun)*
Alan
Basses:
John B
John R
Geoff Wa
Geoff H (Mon-Sat)
Those not attending the whole week have the days they wish to sing in brackets after their name. If this information is wrong, please email Ed.
Those shown with an * are required to attend the weekenders' rehearsal on Saturday (see schedule below).
The following information is for guidance only at this stage.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
1300-1430 Rehearsal (Song School)
1500-1540 Run through in stalls
1600-1700 Evensong
The choir's AGM will be held by video call at a later date.
Thursday
Dumb day - no singing
Saturday
1100-1230 Weekenders' rehearsal (Song School)
1330-1430 Rehearsal (if required)
1430-1530 Run through in stalls
1600-1700 Evensong
Sunday
1000-1030 Run through in stalls
1100-1200 Choral Eucharist
1400-1445 Run through in stalls
1500-1600 Evensong
This year will be run very differently to previous years. Many members will not have sung as much in the past year as usual and every attempt will be made to keep rehearsals shorter than above to save voices. However, you can help yourself by building up the time spent singing each day ahead of the visit, and by rehearsing as much music as possible at home in advance.
You will be given a cardboard wallet containing the week’s music. It would greatly help if you kept all the music in the wallet when not in use. Please ensure that any markings you make on your copy are made in pencil only.
Harsnett borrows a great deal of music from various sources. Their willingness to lend to us for free depends on us returning it promptly, intact, and with our pencil markings removed. You may keep music you have downloaded or, if you wish, donate it to the choir library.
For services, we carry music in red hardback folders. If you have one of these, please remember to bring it with you. If you do not have one, they will be available. Please return both folders and all music before you leave.
The following programme is confirmed. This year we have attempted to create a programme which can be sung by a quartet (if restrictions continue) or a full choir if allowed, both with limited rehearsal time to ease pressure on voices.
Monday
Ps 47 (Elvey)
Tuesday
Bevan, There's a wideness in God's mercy
Ps 50 (Attwood)
Wednesday
Ps 59 (Barnby)
Friday
Ps 72 (SS Wesley)
NEH 176 (512)
Saturday
Grayston Ives, Salisbury Festival Service
Chilcott, Be thou my vision
Ps 65 (Russell, Battishill)
Sunday Eucharist
Darke in E
Lloyd, The Call
Responsorial psalm
NEH 362
Sunday Evensong
Rutter, For the beauty of the earth
Ps 91:1-12
Responses for the week
Where available the music above is linked to online scores. You are reminded that no time will be spent in rehearsal note bashing music made available in advance.
London Bridge, London SE1 9DA
The Song School is off the corridor of the new extension to the north of the cathedral.
The Cathedral is well served by a number of trains, buses, tube and boats.
We recommend using the TFL Journey Planner to plan your visit if you are using the London Underground, buses, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) or the river buses and cruises.
By Rail
London Bridge Station – 5 minutes walk
Cannon Street Station – 10 minutes walk
Blackfriars Station – 15 minute walk
National Rail planner for trains can be found here.
In January 2018, the Tooley Street entrance and exit re-opened at London Bridge Station. We highly recommend that should you be using this station you exit onto Tooley Street opposite the Hay's Galleria, cross the road head west and walk to the Cathedral going past London Bridge Hospital, under London Bridge and past the London Tombs and Mudlark Public House, entering through our courtyard on the north side of the Cathedral.
Further information can be found at the following link here.
London Underground
The RMT Union is planning strikes affecting the tube network during our visit. Please see their website for more information.
London Bridge Station (Jubilee and Northern Lines) 5 minutes walk
Monument (Circle & District Lines) 8 minutes walk
Cannon Street Station (Circle & District Lines) 10 minutes walk
Bank Station (Northern & Central Lines) 15 minutes walk
DLR
Bank Station (Northern & Central Lines) - 15 minutes walk
Buses
Routes 17, 21, 35, 40, 43, 47, 48, 133, 141, 149, 344, RV1 all stop at London Bridge Station, London Bridge or Borough High Street. We recommend you visit the TFL link here.
River Service
MBNA Thames Clippers are the fastest and most frequent fleet on the river with departures from major London piers every 20 minutes. Their services stretch from Putney to Royal Arsenal Woolwich and cater for all, from early morning communters to families wanting a day out on the river.
You can find out more information from their website here and the closest piers to the Cathedral are;
London Bridge City Pier – 7 minutes walk
Bankside Pier – 15 minutes walk
Car Parking
There is no car parking in the vicinity of the Cathedral. The nearest car park is in Great Suffolk Street and is run by Union Car Parks. Details of charges and times can be found on their website here.
Bicycle Parking
Bicycle parking is available just outside the Cathedral (opposite Borough Market) and there are additional areas on the north side of the Cathedral on Montague Close.
Santander Cycle docking stations are located in Duke Street Hill just outside London Bridge Station on Tooley Street as well as outside the Hop Exchange on Southwark Street.
Suitable Accommodation has been located at Manna Ash House, 8-16 Pocock Street, Newington, London, SE1 0BW.
This is less than 1 mile from Southwark Cathedral and should take no more than a 20 minute walk.
The cost will be £44.00 per person per night for a single en-suite room, which for central London I consider to be reasonable. Self catering breakfast provisions will be provided in the usual way.
With many members within commuting distance at this stage I just need to ascertain how many rooms might be required. Please complete the survey.
If you have any questions, please email Graham at accom@harsnettchoir.org
01/07/2021 - Update: I have spoken with the accommodation providers today. Please be assured that if we are unable to go ahead all monies will be refunded.
Regretfully, we will not be arranging a choir meal this year.
The appearance of the choir is important: it gets noticed and affects how we come across.
The choir provides cassocks, surplices and whites. If you have yours at home, please be sure to bring them with you. If you haven’t done so already and this is your first time with Harsnett, please let Elizabeth Jack know your approximate height and build.
Please wear quiet black shoes and dark trousers and socks or tights as these may show under your cassock. Academical hoods and RSCM medals may be worn during Evensong. They are not worn at the Eucharist.
Where available, online versions of sheet music are linked from the 'music' section above.
Ed has also created a Spotify playlist. Video recordings are also available below. Please bear in mind that the sheet music and recordings linked from here may subtly differ to our own version on the day.
If you have any questions, please contact Ed.