London Surprise Minor

I've been ringing for over 50 years and I have even rung peals of surprise major, not that I ring many peals. I have a quite limited repertoire of surprise minor methods: most towers around me are lucky to get beyond plain bob (with a few exceptions). Thus, a quarter of London has been a target of mine for many years.

I achieved this target yesterday but had to drive 20 miles to do so. It was a branch quater peal day. Whilst it went very well, we had 2 false starts of a couple of leads each. It was not me who went wrong but, as the 'least experienced' surprise minor ringer, it was suggested that I might like to glance at 'the line': I didn't need to. Once the person who did go wrong had woken up the ringing was a lot better.

As it turned out, after we had rung up, I toyed with putting a knot in the rope so that it would be shorter but it was on the cusp of needing one. After false start 2 I did put a knot in and, by the end, I was glad I had.

It was rather embarrasing for the conductor at the end for him to be told by a clearly very experienced ringer that he had used a false calling for the 720. He had called W, H, W (twice repeated) from the 6th. However, on checking, this is in my Ringers' Diary (2004) so I do not understand the problem.

Quakers

Today I did something for the first time. I went to a Quaker meeting [The Society of Friends].

I had walked past the Quaker meeting house earlier in the week and - as I knew I did not have a musical engagement this Sunday - I decided to give it a try. When I got home on Thursday I set about researching the Quakers online and found out what takes place at a meeting. I also looked into what they believe: it is quite embracing.

For me, some churches have become too noisy, too informal and totally lacking in reverence. What I like about the Quakers (so far) can be listed:

• No Creed
• No ritual
• Meetings last exactly an hour
• No sermon!
  
• No priests - nobody is in charge (= everyone is equally in charge)
• No chit-chat
• No passing the peace
• No distractions
• Sustained focus on one thing
• Peace (in the service)

There were only 5 of us present although there were chairs for 8. They have about 20 members. Like many churches they were hit by the pandemic and I think older people have never really got back into the habit of going out.

 

I can next go again in a fortnight. Let's see how it goes.

 

PS I just found this

 

 

Fear

Anglican Mainstream

I am following this page to see if our views align: I feel they may well do so.

https://anglicanmainstream.org/

Powerful Stuff

 I agree

This annoyed me

Students told not to use the term 'Christian name' or 'surname'.

Read Here

Was it worth it?

I played for a once monthly Evensong yesterday and I had had to do quite a lot of work on the anthem and the psalm. There were some nine choir members, but no tenor, and only six people in the congregation, one of whom was my partner who had just come to support me rather than staying at home.

The anthem was quite long and probably better for another occasion, to be honest.

My feelings on the subject have surprised me (or perhaps they have not). Knowing the choir as I do they are all nice people and they tried their best. They have no way of knowing what size the congregation will be. I enjoy Evensong although the church is some distance from where I live.

To sum up, a genuine act of worship is always worth performing (the sermon was a little long) but if the trend continues I do not see there being Choral Evensongs happening for much longer.