Tour Reports 2018

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Winchester Cathedral - April 2018  

The few days spent with the OUCC on this trip certainly came up to the high standards that Ian and I have become accustomed to during the two years since we joined.  Our hotel, The Royal, another historically interesting building, provided three enjoyable evening meals for us all, coping well with our large numbers. It was, moreover, comfortable and conveniently close to the cathedral, with a beautifully laid-out and well-tended garden and, I believe, adequate parking.

Our rehearsal venues were memorable, too. We were mainly in the Undercroft, once part of the medieval monastery’s cloisters, where the downstairs room boasts a thirteenth-century vaulted ceiling and pillars!

Another rehearsal took place in St Lawrence’s Church, which everyone enjoyed and where we were made very welcome. Tucked away in a square near the Cathedral, it claims to be the oldest parish church in Winchester; the original church was incorporated into William the Conqueror’s palace, as the Chapel Royal, soon after 1066.

As regards the services themselves, the cathedral staff were similarly welcoming and – once left to our own devices – we even managed to process in and out without too much bother. We were also treated to three excellent sermons and some very good Precenting (if that’s the word I’m groping for). In addition, we were immensely privileged at Evensong on the Friday to be the first choir to sing in the Quire since the removal of the scaffolding following the cleaning and restoration of the Great Screen, which had taken the best part of five years. The Quire, the oldest of the great medieval quires in England to survive substantially unaltered, is noted for its carvings of characters, beasts and foliage.

As for the music, we are, as always, indebted to both Will and John for making it so accessible; I noted, in particular, that Gordon Jackson’s Preces and Responses gained quite a few fans during our time together. We had more services to sing than usual – two Evensongs and, between them, Matins and the Eucharist on Sunday morning which were both well attended. These morning services included Stanford’s lengthy Te Deum and some less familiar texts including The Easter Anthems. Another newcomer to the OUCC repertoire was Bogoroditsye Dyevo [Ave Maria] from the Rachmaninov Vespers which we sang in Russian on the Eve of the Annunciation of Our Lord to the Blessed Virgin Mary, in our concluding service on the Sunday evening.

Christine Hanby

Portsmouth Cathedral  - August 2018 

‘OUCC go to the seaside’ – a good ‘Enid Blyton’ title?  We all converged, having spent time disentangling the Rootham score, especially the tenors and basses!

After problems with everyone being expected to check in at 3pm, which rendered the reception area to looking like a refugee camp, we had a good and much needed rehearsal.  Time very well spent and we got that stage out of our system, thank goodness!

A lovely weekend followed.  The Cathedral is small but beautifully light and airy.  I think one of the stars of the weekend is the Cathedral acoustic.  Our hard work in rehearsals was rewarded when our sound seemed to be taken from us, wrapped in something lovely, the space giving it velvet sound.  It was very good to sing in – we could hear ‘the other side’ which always helps.

The music was challenging, fitting our higher standards now (?), but we stepped up to the mark.  I think the nature of the music made us rise to it – we showed what we are capable of and it gave us a sense of achievement. The Psalm singing has improved so much under John's direction, and there is a lot that has become second nature in them, rendering more meaning and feeling to them.

There was a lovely touch in the Responses which were unexpectedly accompanied by an Isle of Wight ferry, sounding as if something had got in its way!

The Rootham – having spent weeks getting to know it, I now can’t get it out of my head!  My score looks like a redacted document covered with scribbles and highlighter.  The tenors’ words jumped from the top to the bottom and back again.  There were 2 ‘with his arms’ – one from the top and then straight down to the bottom, and with the bass notes going above the tenors, it needed some working out.  How many partners/spouses were made aware of the challenges of this in the weeks leading up to the tour?!?

The organ was lovely and Will as always is a delight to have and hear play. We were glad to have an introduction to the ‘thrush’ organ addition to the sparrow and swallow in the Psalm at rehearsal, so we could maintain our aplomb at the service!  The piece Will played after Evensong on Sunday was a delight. His accompaniment in rehearsal is skillful and his knowledge shows through with gentle supportive help (and some lovely touches to make us smile along the way!)

The choir stalls were interesting.  Only one fell over in rehearsal.  We had to be very careful how we exchanged the sign of the peace, or ‘peace’ would not have been the result.

The Cathedral staff were incredibly warm and welcoming.  Rev Canon Jo had such a lovely smile and she was there with support and help.  Her prayer before the service was accompanied by ‘Seagull in F’.  We were talking about how Bells and the Organ don’t mix, but here they weren’t too bad.  However, the seagulls and the ferries were definitely off key!  It was nice to hear prayers for ‘all those who go down to the sea in ships’ at every service.

The sermons were good, one starting with ‘A good sermon should have a good beginning and a good ending and those two should be as close together as possible’!

Hats off and special thanks to Gill who quietly and efficiently supplied us with tea (in real cups and saucers!) and biscuits.

It was good to have an easy stroll to the Cathedral with the option of a ‘blow’ along the sea wall.  The good ‘Manna’ café across the road from the Cathedral did very well out of us and was a relaxing place.

There are always some issues with hotels, but the staff at the meals were very efficient and friendly.  They rose to the challenge of us rearranging furniture and solved the new maze very well.  The wedding on Saturday must have been another challenge for them but we were entertained by watching ladies staggering in inappropriate footwear (etc!) before rejecting them in favour of bare feet.

We had some time off which gave us the chance to look around and rest our brains. Thank you John!

Another Enid Blyton book title – ‘4 Went to the Funfair’.  4 of us went on the big wheel, had ice creams and watched the soporific kites.

There was a really happy atmosphere.  We are a group of friends meeting up regularly and we have fun as well as achieving so much.  It is good to reacquaint ourselves and get to know others more. 

How can we thank John and Ester enough?   John’s skill and knowledge seems to lift us each time for which we are so grateful.  Ester and team – such hard work goes into these weekends, and we always feel secure knowing we have such a rock supporting us.

The music brings us together and gives us a sense of ‘family’ which is a blessing.

Rosemary Humphries

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