Burns’ Night 2014 (25th January) saw a disappointing
lack of haggis but an excellent educational opportunity
and a cracking curry for our choral scholars courtesy of
the professional lay clerks of Southwell Minster. Our
Travis Organ Fellow, Hilary Punnett, came to All Saints
from her post as organ scholar at Southwell. She kindly
and efficiently utilised her contacts there to provide a
fantastic trip for the choral scholars. We arrived
safely at the beautiful Minster after a tortuously
stormy journey and were privileged to witness the boys’
choir rehearsal before attending a stunningly sung
Evensong.
After the service the choral scholars were involved in
the lay clerks’ rehearsal with the intention of giving
them a real sense of life as a professional Cathedral
singer. Put to work by Southwell Assistant Director of
Music, Simon Hogan, they sang Byrd Gloria tibi Domine,
O quam gloriosum, Leighton Responses, Howells
Gloucester Service and Bairstow Though I speak with
the tongue of men and of angels. They learned a lot
from the constructive criticism and ‘leading by example’
techniques employed by the talented lay clerks.
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