two choir festival

This morning we carried our robes and music to St. Paul's. The service music for the Sunday Eucharist was Harold Darke's Mass in A Minor.

The Gloria was particularly exciting. Sung immediately after the Collect of the Day, the music was stirring in illustrating these words of praise to God.

This afternoon was choral evensong at Trinity, and so a return back to the home parish. We sang Charles Wood's Hail, gladdening Light, preces and responses by Richard Ayleward, a magnificat and nunc pair by Dan Locklair, and two anthems -- a ponderous piece by Richard Dirksen (Surely it is God that saves me, and the romantic Dear Lord and Father of mankind by C.H.H. Parry.)

While the parishes are similar in terms of worship and choirs, the physical places are quite different. St. Paul's Church, built in 1949, has an interior that is sort of American Victorian Tudor, and Trinity's, built in 1950, is an American recreation of a 14th century English parish church. St. Paul's is brilliantly lighted, and Trinity has a very low level of light. And we are also in a smaller space.

Patrick Wedd, a Canadian church musician, was an excellent guest conductor. He moved through music quickly, and I had to get used to how fast he talked, but he has a certain kindness and joy in making music that is contagious. I hope that these two parishes will continue their relationship with him and Christ Church Cathedral in Montreal.