It was more than simply a Wintery nip in the air when Alexis, Margaret and a bunch of Choir Members braced themselves against the gale that had been blowing straight off the Antarctic and had found its way to Toowoomba on August 23rd. Girded by warm coats, scarves and thermals, the Choir gathered at the magnificent heritage listed St Luke’s Anglican Church for ‘Evensong’, a traditionally Anglican evening service which is centred around prayers, the singing of the psalms, and the canticles, Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis. Though this St Luke’s Church has only been serving the parishioners of Toowoomba since 1897, this service in song, using the text from the Book of Common Prayer, has been a tradition within the Church of England since the sixteenth century.
Now 2020 and with Covid 19
protocols having necessitated ‘social distancing’ amongst others, the choristers
found their appropriate positions behind the pulpit for a quick rundown with Reverend
Paul and a brief warm-up, if only for their voices! With a congregation also required to
‘socially distance’, many parishioners were able to be a part of this service in
the comparative warmth of their homes through the magic of ‘live streaming’. Minutes before 6.00pm, Reverend Paul alerted
the choir with “..we’re about to go live!” at which time one could hear a pin
drop save for one choir member who managed to drop her service sheet on the
floor. At this moment , particularly for
this writer, memories were recalled of the recording sessions with our spirited
but sadly now departed friend, Mr Bernie Snep who would precede his recordings
with a very explicit “Stand by!” followed by 5 seconds of unmitigated silence,
the breaking of which would provoke the wrath of a perfectionist at his craft. The delightful Rev. Paul however was the
antithesis of our Bernie as he graciously ushered in the proceedings, leading
the choir and the, small as well as virtual, congregation through some beautiful singing
of hymns and prayers.
As part of a Choral Evensong there
are opportunities for a Choir to sing alone and this the group from the Esk
Community Choir did with the poise of a well- practised choir. With Alexis, hands raised at the music stand
breathing confidence into her choristers and to Margaret’s impeccable
accompaniment, the church filled with the stirring sounds of ‘Be Still My
Soul’.
Following Reverend Paul’s
insightful sermon on the journeys of ‘Sent’ George and his quest for the Holy
Grail, the singing of the final hymn, the blessing and an exhilarating Postlude
by St Luke’s exceptional Organist, the choir members regrouped to don warm
coats and disperse into the night grateful for the opportunity to have been an
integral part of this sacred tradition.
By: Sue Walker
No comments:
Post a Comment