Remembrance

I am always moved by Remembrance Sunday. My father served in the RAF but later joined the REME. He taught me never to forget the sacrifice made by those who fell in the war.

The power of music

I have been a musician for as long as I can remember and my daughter - a rather clever scientist with a PhD - is also a fine vocalist. She has done her share of cathedral singing (sometimes with me) and choral work at university. (It is good to pass things on for others to carry the baton as it were.)

Quite a few years ago, even before she was an undergraduate, I accompanied her for her DipABRSM exam. One of the songs was "O Mio Babbino Caro". I have just come across this in a most unusual way. From this video I was able to find Jessica Norton (below) and I was moved to tears when I heard the song again.

It is not that I particularly love the song but I do love my daughter and the memories came flooding back.

Expectans Expectavi

When I was a chorister I loved Wood's "Expectans Expectavi". When I became senior organ scholar at university in 1979 I included it as an anthem on the music list. I was laughed at as were the music and the lyrics. Odd, then, that it is still a staple of cathedral music.

People have their own (musical) tastes but it does not mean that mine are wrong. I think this was a case of 'Christian' one-upmanship and I hope those responsible have grown up after 45 years.

Here it is - slightly slower than I like it but not the slowest I found!

It will be missed

There have been a great many comments in a Facebook group about the church which is closing.

Although the congregation is very small it seems that a number of people larger than the number in the current congregation do not wish the church to close and will miss it when it has gone. Cries of "Shame" and "Why is the C of E allowing this to happen?" abound. Here are a few which I hope are sufficiently anonymous.

• My grandad and my dad both sang in the choir at St Augustine’s both as boys and men and my mum and dad were married there 79 years ago.
• It was the church my mum went to. Generations of her family were married there, christened there, including me and {Name]. My grandmother spent a Lot of time there. She’d have been so upset to see this. My mum is upset.
• I went to the Sunday school there.
• So sad to see a historic building which is such an integral part of the community close for worship. Shame on the Diocese for letting it get in this state over the years. Hope it gets a secure future.

 I feel moved to say it is a case of 'use it or lose it'.

The organ will not be greatly missed although I worked for my ARCO on it. The bells were a superb Gillett & Johnson light 6.