Tour Reports 2024

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Blackburn Cathedral - February 2024

When Irving Berlin wrote:  'Blue skies smiling at me / Nothing but blue skies do I see / Blue birds singing a song / Nothing but blue skies from now on'.  I don't think he had Blackburn in mind this time over the week-end 16-18 February.  We arrived at intervals at the Premier Inn suitably cocooned in mackintoshes, scarves, hats and other winter wear.  The lucky ones were offered a welcoming cup of tea by the management no sooner had they stepped inside.  A nice gesture.

After checking in to our rooms, we braved the elements for the first rehearsal meeting in the song school for 'general vocal adjustments to ensure later operations at peak efficiency' or tuning up as choral conductors might say.  Then, the evening saw around 20 of us taking over the Thira Indian restaurant which had picked up a National Curry Award earlier this year.  Despite a few unfortunate slow services, it was the perfect start.

Bright eyed and bushy tailed, alert and lively, we re-assembled after an Inn breakfast for the day's rehearsals leading to the 4.00pm evensong.  We numbered 28.  We were doing 2 days not 3.  The music had been covered on previous tours with one exception (see below).  We were complete.  Will had been wind swept from London and it was a pleasure to meet up again and see him at the keyboard.

On that Saturday Blackburn Rovers were playing away in a local grudge match against Preston North End which perhaps explained why the town centre around the cathedral was quiet rather like the attendance at evensong.  As I said, we had done the music before save for a tricky set of Responses composed in 1992 by John Benson.  He was in the congregation.  There is a short passage during the Collects for the tenors to reach a D and then a falling C sharp.  Two seasoned members of the tenor section (modesty prevents me from naming one of them) thought that would be as easy as a walk in the park.  Bracing themselves for this magical moment, they produced an attempt for which there is no known notation.  Mr Benson later whispered to our Director of Music that he couldn't remember writing that bit.  If he had stayed for the Sunday evensong, they got it bang on and Mr Benson would be buying drinks all round.

Those who know Blackburn will speak as to the exceptionally good acoustics.  The choir stalls are grouped in a crescent.  The sound is soft to contrast with that from the close spaces in the rehearsal rooms.  It is a pleasure to sing there.

Over the week end, the psalm chants were tuneful and enthusiastically sung sprinkled with 'slippery places', 'tender mercies' and 'loving kindnesses'.  Hymns on Sunday were equally as rich especially Forty days And Forty Nights verse 2 : “Sunbeams scorching all the day/ Chilly dewdrops nightly shed/ Prowling beasts about thy way/ Stones thy pillow, earth thy bed”.---lovely---to finish with “Keep, O keep us Saviour dear/ Ever constant by thy side/ That with thee we may appear/At the eternal Eastertide.”  They don't write them like that these days.  We also had the uplifting Londonderry Air with words written by T Dudley-Smith and in 5 flats  — perhaps he had to move house 4 times!

Sunday Eucharist was streamed as in other cathedrals.  It's up on YouTube. It covers audio as well as visual as we know but which Shelagh overlooked.  She is becoming the resident page turner for Will during his Voluntary recitals except that this time towards the end she managed to grip 2 pages at once to reveal a blank sheet.  It was an “ oh dear bother me “ moment or words to that effect.  I must see if they have been bleeped out!

John Naylor was our guiding hand throughout to whom grateful thanks are due from us all and to Will for lighting up the whole show in the cathedral. I must also express our appreciation to Ester for her time spent behind the scenes getting us all together with a calm efficiency.

Patrick Hay 

Rochester Cathedral - April 2024 

The City of Rochester leans heavily on its connections with Charles Dickens, who lived nearby. Browsing in the High Street's old curiosity shops, you might easily find a page from one of the great man's unpublished novels ...

In the cathedral workhouse, Sunday was not a day of rest. We poor choristers had been set to work under Canon Naylor, recruited from all parts of the country by his efficient clerk, Harries, and accommodated in a rather bleak house known just as ‘The Lodge’. Most of us had experienced such duties before; sometimes a new member would join our ranks, unaware of the perils which would befall them. 

The weekdays were hard times indeed, but Sunday was the most challenging. Rising early, those that could eat at a sufficient speed were allowed a meagre breakfast before we each donned our uniform - a blue garment bearing the crest which marked us out as separate from normal people, but at the same time bound us together with a sense of pride.  Three services followed in quick succession, although a break for rations was permitted at lunch-time. Slacking would undoubtedly be punished, but such an idea never crossed our mind. No-one was excused, not even the sick and the lame.  In the gloomy organ-loft, Tiny Tim had to select the right notes from a bewildering array of similar-looking black and white keys, trembling in the knowledge that any error would confound Naylor’s great expectations.

The black-robed beadles with their stout staffs escorted us to and from the choir stalls, as it was not always the same ones, and a simple mistake on our part might have taken us to forbidden areas. Those of us that possessed a few valuables were obliged to carry them at all times – it seemed that not even a great cathedral was immune from the attentions of cut-purses and vagabonds. Eventually, the end of Evensong came as a blessing. Some of the exhausted choristers managed to slip away – I was one of those lucky ones – but others were rounded up and sent back to The Lodge. I never heard what became of them.

Undoubtedly a Victorian experience. Nothing like that could happen in 2024, could it?  By contrast, the OUCC’s latest tour was the usual mix of meeting old friends and familiar music, well-organised, well-directed, well-accompanied, and (mostly) well-sung. If I had a fifth ‘well’ I could follow it with ‘-appreciated’, as I trust the clergy’s comments were sincere. I’m sure all of us are grateful to John, Ester, Will, and others who made the weekend a success.

Looking back, it was a busy few days. How the Dickens did we get through it?

Bill Butler

St Albans Cathedral - August 2024 

As in the past, we met on the Thursday evening for a rehearsal and the opportunity to meet our friends and be introduced to new members, who we made most welcome.

We met in the Offa Room and went through quite a lot of music, helping us to familiarise each other with the blend. John encouraged us to listen to each other. An evening meal at the Beech House (a few used the Premier Inn) closed the day.

On Friday in the Alban Room, we rehearsed most of the day. Lunch breaks are very generous on these tours! The plainsong psalm caused us some nervousness but, with practice, we felt secure. At the Friday Evensong, Shelagh and Elaine sang the duet in the anthem. We were made very welcome by the Cathedral staff. For my part, it was lovely to see Joe Kennedy, the Head Verger as I have known him for many years from Blackburn Cathedral.

Saturday. Panic! Will was not well! Joe was asked to help find an organist with no luck, but there is so much talent in the choir: Peter and Maggie took us through some items. Will recovered and was able to play for Evensong, especially as the Elgar has a terrific organ part. We were invited to a drinks reception by the Dean. Once we had found the room, we enjoyed the hospitality and the story of St Alban. We were also treated to the screeches of the Peregrine Falcons.

After a very social Saturday night by one group of choristers who shall remain nameless,  Sunday morning gave us a bit of a lie in, the Eucharist being at 11:15am. This was live-streamed so we had to be on our best behaviour, so to speak. The Mildinhall Service was well received by a quite large congregation. This is available to be viewed on YouTube.

A long break before Evensong gave some a chance for a ‘nice’ lunch and time to look around the street market. The Harwood was a good sing and the Will Todd anthem drew the weekend to a close.

Some of us stayed over on Sunday night, we found it difficult to say our goodbyes, but all agreed that we had had a very good experience, which we had enjoyed very much.

As a group we are very fortunate to have John and Will and thank them for their musicianship and patience. Thanks also go to Ester and her team for the organisation and planning of each tour.

We look forward to February in Blackburn Cathedral then, in March, St George’s, Windsor.

Pamela S V Coates MA 

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