UK Choir Tour Update #11

MONDAY JULY 20

The Final Dispatch

Yesterday, our pilgrims led worship for Sunday Eucharist and Evensong in St Paul's to appreciation and acclaim from the resident clergy, vergers and musicians. Because of their ministry -- their voices -- the stones of St Paul's and Lincoln cathedrals will never be quite the same. And as they return to their lives, they, too, are forever changed from the experience.

Philippa

As a chaperone for this tour, I have the great privilege of reflecting on this tour not from the choir, but from directly beside it. The one thing I see coming out of these 12 days together is ‘legacy’. We are one small piece of something that is so much greater than ourselves.

Early in our time at Lincoln Cathedral, the prayer during Evensong included the words, "for those who built these cathedrals, whose names are known only to God." Those words have stayed with me. Countless people have devoted their lives to building these sacred places we sing in today, many knowing they would never see the finished cathedral. They gave their time, their skill, and their lives to something that would serve generations they would never meet. We may not know their name, but their work lives on forever. Our community of choir members is leaving a legacy amongst each other, one that will live on last past this time of our tour. Our adults have inspired our youth. Our older youth have comforted our younger choristers. And all of us together have created something magical.

We are all laying stones in something much larger than ourselves. Most of us will never know the full impact of those small acts of faith, kindness, and service we have experience these past weeks. But just as the anonymous builders of these cathedrals shaped our experience centuries later, maybe our own quiet contributions will one day become the foundation for something bigger. This is the lesson I leave with.

Ava

When I was first told I would be singing in St. Paul's Cathedral, I was so excited. At the time, it only meant singing in a beautiful and famous cathedral. Looking back, it means the world. Nothing will ever sound or feel the same as it did under the dome, surrounded by friends and family, and filling a space that once seemed so huge while hearing my own sound carry for over ten seconds. The first time I saw the dome, I was honestly a little scared, wondering how in the world we were ever going to come close to filling such an enormous space. However, not much to my surprise (and I say this humbly), the minute we opened our mouths, it was like we had unlocked a whole new level of singing. Standing there and hearing the notes echo throughout the cathedral sparked feelings that I don't think any of us will ever forget. There was something so special about sharing that moment under the dome, where the music connected every person in the cathedral through one magical experience.

Annabel

The choristers have made immense progress throughout the choir tour. Singing in St. Paul’s has really shown the accomplishments the choristers are capable of when they set their minds to it. They filled the space more and more every day. We have been so fortunate with the venues we have sung at on this choir tour -- from Lincoln to King’s College Cambridge which was the most surreal experience that I hope the choristers truly understand the honour of not only entering these places, but singing in them. They have grown in confidence and adapted to the culture of excellence, warmth and grace which pervades these places. With the VOCES8 workshop, the choristers gained insight that they can really take with them back to Christ Church in Victoria. All of their experiences this week culminated into an incredible delivery of Wesley's "Blessed be the God and Father" at Evensong, with an exceptional soli (small group solo) excerpt from some of the leading young choristers.

Kellan

My favorite place to sing during this tour was St Paul’s. I loved the amazing acoustics as we sang, and it was such a good opportunity to be able to sing in one of the most known cathedrals on the planet. My favourite moment was probably going to see Wicked in the theatre. The singing was incredible. The lights and set were amazing and it was such a fun night out with my choir.

This opportunity to go on a tour with my choir was a very good way to get to know the youth and adult choir a lot better. I really loved spending more time with everyone.

Mark (An Organist's Pilgrimage)

No two organs are alike. As organists, every new instrument we meet is a new experience, a new sound world to explore, a musical experience unique to that time and space. This is what I love about being an organist. I get to be a pilgrim, travelling from place to place, experiencing new acoustics, adapting my craft to the specifications of each instrument I play.

In Lincoln, I was amazed by the expressive qualities of the silky smooth choruses of its 1898 Father Willis organ. It had the ability creep in under the choir during the psalms and canticles, and unleash a ferocious growl when "casting down the mighty from their seat," or rumbling under the "sea and all deep places."

At St Paul's, the massive building and acoustics requires an instrument of epic proportions with pipe work dispersed all over the cathedral. Despite its size, the organist's position perched in the loft just about the choir made for an intimate experience (no choir communication microphones required!), it was even possible at times to accompany the choir with just a single stop drawn. One of the highlights for me was accompanying Batten's Forth Service with a single Open Diapason that dated from the original organ from 1697 - craftsmanship that has stood the test of time.

Today I'm off to Southwark Cathedral to experience yet another unique instrument. I'll be playing a short lunchtime recital just as my friends and colleagues board their flight back to Canada. The tour is over, but the memories will last a lifetime!

Juliane

What a tour. What an experience. What an honour. Two cities, two cathedrals, one unified and glorious choir. These places of worship have been beautiful and wondrous sanctuaries in which to make music over these past two weeks. We have learned about their histories and have found our voices within them. In particular, our week-long residency at St. Paul’s Cathedral has enabled us to truly inhabit it and we have grown to feel at home here. While the echo of our voices eventually fades in the vast space of St Paul’s Cathedral, the memories of this trip will remain fixed in our minds. The skills we have developed, the bonds we have made, and the growth we have experienced both personally and musically will return with us to Victoria and shape our lives for years to come. As our tour draws to a close, we return home with fresh skills, new stories and friendships, and countless memories. Our hearts are full, our lives enriched.

The Grace

Thank you for reading our daily choir tour blog and for supporting this pilgrimage through your donations. This enriching, life-changing experience would not have been possible without the almighty efforts of a dedicated volunteer team: Thank you to our chaperones (Amy, Pablita, Philippa, Müge, Geoff) and to our peerless Tour Director, Lindsay Loomer, whose faithfulness to this project over multiple years is a model for us all.