Music made easy

Today I got to sing at some people's 50th Wedding Anniversary Mass. Just after Easter is clearly the time for these things.

It was an EF Mass in a Church I have been to but never sung sung in, with some people I know, some people I have met but never sung with and some people I had never clapped eyes on before nor indeed have I ever been to a Mass celebrated by this Priest.

In steps the Old Mass, where of course everything is identikit the same, so all of those terrible moments of now?... NOW?? where you look at the Priest, who is busy doing something else, or if it is a school Mass any number of other people all frozen and unable to give any lead, 'cos maybe that's not what they are for, all vanish.

Aside from the small matter of getting the music right, for which a 90 minute rehearsal, including a very useful amount spent on Mass I, was a bonus, you have nothing to worry about.

*cough* for someone whose life is often dominated by being in the right classroom at the right time, I was late getting home this am and switched the radio on in time for Ubi caritas... my favourite tune of the moment, but in a different setting here. I was sorry to have missed 'I was glad.' Oh well.

It all looked great and I wished in a way that I'd gone into London. Will take a peek down The Mall tomorrow morning on the way somewhere. Beautiful dress too.

When I did my shoulder in and ended up in Ysbyty Gwynedd Bangor two years ago, a man had been helicoptered in from the Little Orme in Llandudno where he had fallen whilst out for a walk and broken his leg. The nurses told him that he could have been flown in by Prince William, but it obviously wasn't his shift that day. A member of my familiy, whose favourite internet pastime is looking at the traffic cameras on the A55 (North Wales Expressway) to check out the weather and such like, also enjoys the BBC NW Wales website, which it should be said is of specialised interest. Lots of K&W news there.

Such events also make me think of Grandma, who was a great Royal fashion watcher. On one famous Xmas Day in the 80s, as we squeazed into my Uncle and Aunt's lounge for The Speech, she was heard to say, 'The poor Queen...' Turned out that the telly was on its last legs and that in addition to turning everyone a bit yellow, the horizantal hold had gone a bit funny rendering the Queen and Duke of E a bit squashed. Didn't do much for the James Bond film that followed either.

LMS Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation

Our Lady of Consolation, West Grinstead, Sussex
Venue: The Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation, Park Lane, West Grinstead, West Sussex RH13 8LT
Date: Saturday, 28 May 2011
Details: 12noon Sung Mass; 2.30pm Conference; 3.30pm Rosary; 4.00pm Benediction. Celebrant and speaker: Fr Alexander Lucie-Smith. Choir: the Schola Scholastica. All are very welcome.
More information: Anne-Marie Mackie-Savage on 01323 411370

Totus tuus

How stupid am I.

After an annoying end to the day when yours truly went to a Church thinking there was a Mass, because there is always a Mass then only to find a man telling her in a tone that suggested that it was self evident that being Easter Week there was no Mass... as he prepared to lock the door.... octave anyone?

I shall have to console myself by listening to this in readiness for next Sunday. Not quite sure what I think about New College Oxford singing it, but there we are.

Easter Feasting

After a certain amount of tootling over the last few days, obviously after Mass yesterday, it was time to make for my parents' home where my sister-in-law has introduced the innovation of my Mum not quite doing everything.

s-i-l did various meaty things, my Mum did, guess what? loads of stuff, sorted out all the cutlery and crockery, provided the venue.... and I made a cake and baked an already in the fridge pudding, typically baked very early in the morning. Yes, very often I listen to The Sunday Programmme and Morning Service whilst whisking things up or peeling potatoes. Yesterday, Morning Service was from St George's Chapel, Windsor where they go on about the Queen a lot, speak in, I assume, Prayer Book English and then sing Mass VIII. Eclectic, or something.

Anyway, back to the food. Then all we had to do was sit in the garden all afternoon talking, eating and drinking. Hard life.

Today, I got to go to a fantastic Mass and then party. It was like a wedding only they've been married for 25 years. The Mass had beautiful music, sung and played by their children and I got to receive Holy Communion whilst they were singing the Elgar Ave verum. I also really got to appreciate the beautiful flowers in the church, which sideways on, whist staring at music, just don't look the same. The bunting in the hall was lovely and the barn dance was great fun. The weather was quite good too...

Tomorrow it's back to my other life, only whilst I know there's lots to do, I've kinda forgotten what that might be. Bank Holiday on Friday, anyway.

Happy Easter

Getting it all done.

My latest time saving activity ( this blog is after all written by someone who on a work day has the oats in a bowl by the microwave with a plate on top prepared at teatime the day before, milk up to the yellow line, plate underneath to catch any boiling over, six minutes, breakfast time...)is to sing Victimae Paschali laudes every time I switch my computer on. Why I cannot sing reconciliavit without hesitating is beyond me. Six syllables and and a system break, deal with it!

In other news I have reharmonised the version of the Vidi aquam that we sing at the Easter Vigil. The great thing about the organ is that you can up the harmonic rhythm from one chord per bar (guitar chord style), or as in Make me a channel of your peace one chord per phrase, drown us in a D chord with a pointless moving inner part why don't you, to a staggering one new chord per crotchet. Great in theory, let's see if I can bring off its world premiere tonight.

Managed not to get my Easter puddings blessed this am, because not only have I not yet made them, I didn't even have all the ingredients. Turning up with a bag of flour and some eggs, was probably not what was envisaged.

To the kitchen!