Saints and Souls 4th November 2010
On Monday over 300 people gathered in Church to celebrate our Patronal Festival with a Solemn Choral Eucharist with Procession, where our new CD - Omnes Sancti - was launched. The service began with our own extended version of that great hymn "For all the Saints". A number of people have asked for copies of the extra verses which we sing for our Patron Saints of Peter and Katharine, and the Blessed Virgin Mary, as we proceed up the South Aisle towards the Lady Chapel, faced with its Ikons of Peter and Katharine. We print them below for your interest, and if there are any budding poets who can supply a rhyming version of the Peter verse, do let us know! For Holy Peter bedrock of the Church, Chosen Apostle of our sovereign Christ. Fling wide the gates for all who ever sing: Alleluia... For Holy Kath'rine Martyr on the Wheel, Our Patron Saint, inspire us with thy zeal, And | through thine image, all our people heal. Alleluia... For blessèd Mary Mother of our Lord, Holy and spotless, ever be adored, Pray for us sinners, now with one accord. Alleluia...
		On Tuesday - All Souls' Day - the Boys and Men performed Fauré's Requiem to a packed Church; they will give a repeat performance on 14 November at 6:00pm for Remembrance Sunday, and again at 7:30pm on Sunday 30 January 2011, under the baton of Owain Arwel Hughes, in a performance with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal & Derngate Concert Hall. This performance will also include Handel's Coronation Anthem Zadok the Priest and Andrew Zolinsky performing Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1. Tickets for this concert are limited, and are
available from the Royal & Derngate Box Office on (01604) 624811.
Our festivities concluded today with a lunchtime Organ Recital featuring music inspired by or coming from the Baroque (following two recitals on the Medieval and Renaissance respectively), including Richard Proulx's Variations on 'Sine nomine', and concluding with Bruhns' 'Great' Praeludium in E minor. The next series of the ever-popular BACK TO BACH lecture-recitals begins on Thursday 2 December at 1:10pm with a programme of Bach's Christmas Chorales; you are advised to arrive early to guarantee a good seat.