Edward Elgar is a fine example of social mobility in later Victorian society. Born the son of a piano tuner who owned a music shop in June 1857, the young Elgar was largely self-taught. He benefitted from growing up in a musical household and took full advantage of the resources available in his father's shop in Broadheath, nr Worcester in the West Midlands. He struggled for many years to establish himself as a prominent composer fighting both class and religious bigotry common at the time. Born a Roman Catholic among a Protestant majority, the cards were stacked against him. During the last two decades of the eighteenth century he persevered, taught music and played the organ at a Roman Catholic church in Worcester and conducted and composed for local musical organisations. His compositional ability and style matured, and by the turn of the century it was clear his talent had surpassed that of the leading composers of his day.
In 1901 came the first two "Pomp and Circumstance" marches, the first in D major containing the famous trio section that was later to become Land of Hope and Glory. Elgar appreciated its worth; he had prophesied: "I've got a tune that will knock 'em - knock 'em flat! … a tune like that comes once in a lifetime …". In July 1904 he was knighted by the new king, Edward VII.
In 1906, Elgar was busy working on his great oratorio, The Kingdom, the sequel to The Apostles of 1903. (Elgar originally intended that there should be a cycle of three oratorios but the third part of the trilogy was never completed.) You can read more about The Apostles below.
Edward Elgar, c. 1900
Aged 29, Elgar took on a new pupil, Caroline Alice Roberts, daughter of the late Major-General Sir Henry Roberts, and published author of verse and prose fiction. Eight years older than Elgar, Alice became his wife three years later. Elgar's biographer Michael Kennedy writes, "Alice's family was horrified by her intention to marry an unknown musician who worked in a shop and was a Roman Catholic. She was disinherited."
A prolific composer, the First World War depressed him significantly, and despite the support of his much-loved wife his output slowed significantly during this time. He was devoted to Alice and when she died in 1920 much of his inspiration and motivation disappeared. He died of a malignant tumour in 1934.
Elgar has been described as the first composer to take the gramophone seriously. Between 1914 and 1925, he conducted a series of acoustic recordings of his works. The introduction of the moving-coil microphone in 1923 made far more accurate sound reproduction possible, and Elgar made new recordings of most of his major orchestral works and excerpts from The Dream of Gerontius.
"For thirty years after his death in 1934, his music was considered to be 'out of fashion'. It was said to epitomise the Edwardian era and to have no relevance to a later age. I believe, however, that it is far too great to be tied to one short period of history and that, in any case, it is music of so personal a nature that it can be described accurately not as 'Edwardian' but only as 'Elgarian'."
Michael Kennedy - 'Portrait of Elgar'
(Oxford University Press -1968)
Edward Elgar (2nd June 1857 - 23rd February 1934) - "Those years had seen change accelerate as never before in human history. His response had been to seek the illumination of time remembered. For all those of his generation and the future who would feel the insight of retrospection, he had made of that evanescence his music."
Jerrold Northrop Moore - 'Edward Elgar - A Creative Life'
(Oxford University Press - 1984)
Baptism of Christ
This Sunday is the first Sunday of Epiphany, and marks the Baptism of the Lord. It is a time of new beginnings, and indeed Mark's Gospel opens at this point, where Jesus "goes public" and begins his Ministry.
Elgar's oratorio "The Apostles" is a narrative work, dealing with the calling of the Apostles and their experiences of Jesus' preaching, miracles, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension. The work is in two parts and seven sections, each played without a break. Elgar claimed it had been a project he had first conceived in boyhood, and selected the words from the Bible and Apocrypha.
Part 1 is the "The Calling of the Apostles" and fits well with Jesus' Baptism. The music begins just before dawn; the sun rises, and one by one the Apostles are chosen. The prologue is the well-known "The Spirit of the Lord" with the words from Isaiah 61 vv. 1–3, 11 :-
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because He hath anointed me to
preach the gospel to the poor;
He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
to preach deliverance to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to preach the acceptable year of the Lord;
to give unto them that mourn
a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning,
the garment of praise
for the spirit of heaviness;
That they might be called trees of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord that He might be glorified.
For as the earth bringeth forth her bud,
and as the garden causeth the
things that are sown in it to spring forth;
So the Lord God will cause
righteousness and praise to
spring forth before all nations.
"When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."
Epiphany is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God incarnate as Jesus Christ. In Western Christianity, the feast marks the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child, and thus Jesus' physical manifestation to the Gentiles. Epiphany is celebrated 12 days after Christmas on 6th January (or January 19th for some Orthodox Church who have Christmas on 7th January) and is the time when Christians remember the Wise Men (also sometimes called the Three Kings) who visited Jesus.
Epiphany is also when some Churches remember when Jesus was Baptised, when he was about 30, and began his teaching. Epiphany means 'revelation' and both the visit of the Wise Men and his Baptism are important times when Jesus was 'revealed' to be very important.
"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you." Isaiah 60:1
A central question posed throughout the Epiphany season is therefore "Who is Jesus?". Matthew's account of the visit of the Magi with their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh reveals him as a King, High Priest and Saviour of all. Isaiah speaks prophetically of the promise for God's glory. Paul continues with Isaiah's theme of unification around a central light which is Jesus Christ, reminding the Ephesians that Gentiles now share in God's promise. Paul is an ambassador for Christ to those who are no longer excluded and this central theme of unity and access for all to the love and teachings of Jesus is particularly pertinent today.
"Bethlehem Down" is a choral anthem or carol composed in 1927 by Anglo-Welsh composer Peter Warlock (1894–1930) set to a poem written by journalist and poet Bruce Blunt. It is a popular anthem used in the Anglican church during the liturgical seasons of Christmastide and Epiphany. (Warlock wrote it to finance a heavy bout of drinking on Christmas Eve 1927 for himself and Blunt, who were experiencing financial difficulty. The pair submitted the carol to The Daily Telegraph's annual Christmas carol contest and won. It was first performed in a Lancaster parish church on December 12th 1930. It was to be the last song Warlock wrote and the manuscript was said to be on his piano when he is believed to have committed suicide days later.
A composer and music critic, Peter Warlock was born Philip Arnold Heseltine on 30 October 1894. (The Warlock name reflects Heseltine's interest in occult practices and was used for all his published musical works.) He is best known as a composer of songs and other vocal music with a distinctive, original style.
When He is King we will give him the King's gifts,
Myrrh for its sweetness, and gold for a crown,
"Beautiful robes", said the young girl to Joseph
Fair with her first-born on Bethlehem Down.
Bethlehem Down is full of the starlight
Winds for the spices, and stars for the gold,
Mary for sleep, and for lullaby music
Songs of a shepherd by Bethlehem fold.
When He is King they will clothe Him in grave-sheets,
Myrrh for embalming, and wood for a crown,
He that lies now in the white arms of Mary
Sleeping so lightly on Bethlehem Down.
Here He has peace and a short while for dreaming,
Close-huddled oxen to keep Him from cold,
Mary for love, and for lullaby music
Songs of a shepherd by Bethlehem fold.
The boy choristers at King's, Ely performed a different version in December, prompting much discussion on a certain Choral Evensong forum! Here is the version performed, much dark and with a stronger sense of suspense. Hugely atmospheric but quite sad. It is published in "Nöel 2".
This is in fact Warlock's first version, written for piano and voice. Warlock wrote "organ" at the start but as one commentator observes "it looks as though he intended it for organ and then forgot, writing a very pianistic accompaniment that demands more than usual editing by an organist." The original manuscript is here and was auctioned at Christie's, with the following text to accompany the listing:-
"His version for solo voice and organ, written for Arnold Dowbiggin's Christmas recital at Lancaster Parish Church, where it had its first performance on 12 December 1930, brings into starker relief the melancholy import of Blunt's text, with a more adventurous approach to the harmony, and an ending in deepest desolation with dying repetitions of the harmony's falling motif. On 17 December, sixteen days after completing the present manuscript, Warlock committed suicide in his flat in Chelsea, at the age of 36."
A film was made about Warlock's life, released in 2005. ""Some Little Joy" is a drama with music about Philip Heseltine, known as Peter Warlock, who by his death in 1930 at the age of thirty six had composed some of the most perfect gems of English songwriting and elevated hedonism to an art form." You can watch a trailer here:- (Warning, there is some adult content in the trailer.)
Warlock was perhaps not a conventional composer of church anthems, but produced some of the most beautiful music. I feel his work is a reminder that we must avoid assumptions about individuals and their capabilities, and avoid dismissing those with whom we struggle to connect, making this anthem doubly appropriate for Epiphany.
The term "parousia" has been used since ancient times to describe the arrival or visit of a king or emperor. The Greek word parousia here corresponded to the Latin word "advent", or coming. For example, in memory of the visit of Emperor Nero to the cities of Patras and Corinth, advent coins were struck that carried the legend Adventus Augusti Corinth. The numerous journeyings of the Emperor Hadrian were celebrated by many advent coins, and often new eras were reckoned from date of the parousia.
Parousia is Greek for ‘presence’, interchangeable with "arrival" or "coming", and is used in the New Testament to refer to the coming of Christ within an eschatological context regarding judgement and resurrection.
The early Christian church believed the main elements of the coming of the kingdom of God had already been realised in the life of Jesus and in his death, which had been vindicated by the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15: 23–4). Jesus also foretold the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (Mark 13: 2), which was necessary for the fulfilment of the coming of the kingdom if God. When it was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE, its place was taken by the crucified and risen Son of Man, who became the new focus of divine presence. This was what St Paul and his contemporaries were waiting for, a kingdom of peace, justice, and love (Romans 14: 17) and for the early Church the most important part of the process had already occurred with Jesus' resurrection. The timing of the remainder was unimportant.
Parousia can have several interpretations in the context of Advent. It is mainly used in Christian theology to refer to the second coming of Christ, but some scholars use the word to refer to Christ's spiritual presence in a church. The season of Advent is a time of waiting as we prepare to welcome Christ on Christmas Day, so parousia might therefore be interpreted as the coming of Christ into our hearts, our lives, and our community.
The third Sunday in Advent is "Refreshment Sunday", also known as Gaudete Sunday, and this year it falls on 13th December.
"The season of Advent originated as a fast of 40 days in preparation for Christmas, commencing on the day after the feast of Saint Martin (11 November), and was originally called Saint Martin's Lent, a name by which it was known as early as the fifth century. In the ninth century, the duration of Advent was reduced to four weeks (a period starting four Sundays before Christmas), and Advent preserved most of the characteristics of a penitential season, which made it a kind of counterpart to Lent. Gaudete Sunday is a counterpart to Laetare Sunday, and provides a similar break about midway through a season which is otherwise of a penitential character, and signifies the nearness of the Lord's coming." (Wikipedia)
On Gaudete Sunday rose-coloured vestments may be worn instead of violet which is otherwise prescribed for every day in the season of Advent, and it is therefore also known as "Rose Sunday". Rose is the liturgical colour for joy. In churches that have an Advent wreath, the rose-coloured candle is lit in addition to two of the violet candles, which represent the first two Sundays of Advent. Despite the otherwise sombre readings of the season of Advent, which recognises the need for penitence in anticipation, the readings on the third Sunday emphasises the joyous anticipation of the Lord's coming.
An advent wreath with three purple candles and the rose coloured candle to represent joy.
Gaudete means “rejoice”. and it is a reminder that the Advent season is a season of joy because our salvation is already at hand. To have a Sunday of rejoicing in the midst of the traditional Advent fast is not simply a concession to human weakness. It serves to correct spiritual pride, reminding those who fast that the whole of the Christian life is a matter of grace. John the Baptist reminds us that salvation is a gift of grace, it is not bestowed on us in return for penitence. Joy is the experience of knowing that you are unconditionally loved, it requires no external conditions, unlike happiness.
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.” Philippians 4:4-5
Advent is a time of watching, waiting and listening, remembering and anticipating, renewal and wonder. On Gaudete Sunday we should rejoice in the unconditional love of God, as we anticipate the fulfilment of his gift of love at Christmas.
Each year at the start of Advent St. Mary le Tower hosts a week-long Festival where we invite our community - both the church community and that of the town - to come together to prepare for Advent and the Christmas season. Our Advent Vigil of Light and Hope is usually the weekend during the week-long event, although this year the lockdown makes this impossible.
One of the benefits of an online festival is that we can reach a wider audience. During 2020 live-streaming of our choral services has seen our congregation grow to include regular members from across the globe. This blog has been a part of that. Do visit our Festival blog, and perhaps give us a shout out on social media!
The music below is "O thou the central orb" by Charles Wood; sung by our church choir and recorded on the CD "A New Song", a full service of Advent.
The online Festival will feature seven "posts" or articles which will go "live" on this site at regular times during the day as follows:-
8am A Children's Activity (preceded on Day 1 by a Welcome from midnight)
10am Christmas Tree of the Day!
12 noon Article on Advent aimed at adults
2pm Afternoon activity for adults and young people, including recipes, craft and puzzles
4pm Christmas fun and community features
6pm Prayer for the Nation
8pm Feature on music at St. Mary le Tower and the wider church community.
There really is something for everyone and plenty on music! I hope it will brighten these dark winter days in lockdown. Do share with anyone you know who might benefit.
Saint Cecilia (Latin Sancta Caecilia) is the patron of musicians and Church music. It is written that as the musicians played at her wedding, Cecilia "sang in her heart to the Lord". Musical compositions are dedicated to her, and her feast, on 22 November is the occasion of concerts and musical festivals.
St. Cecilia, (also spelled as Cecily), is one of the most famous Roman martyrs of the early church and historically one of the most discussed. She did not need documented miracles for her to be canonised for two reasons; she was canonised long before the current process was in use (there is evidence of the Church considering her a saint from the 4th century, when the church dedicated to her name was founded in Rome) and because she was martyred.
According to a late 5th-century legend, she was a noble Roman who, as a child, had vowed her virginity belonged to God. When she was married against her will to the future saint Valerian, then a pagan, she told him an angel of God wished her to remain a virgin. He promised to respect this wish if he were allowed to see the angel. She replied that he would if he were baptised, and on his return from baptism he found Cecilia talking to the angel. Cecilia then converted his brother Tiburtius, who also saw the angel.
The martyrdom of Cecilia is said to have followed that of her husband Valerian and his brother at the hands of the prefect Turcius Almachius. Cecilia distributed her possessions to the poor, which enraged the prefect Almachius, who ordered her to be burned. When the flames did not harm her, legend says that after being struck three times on the neck with a sword, she lived for three days, and asked the pope to convert her home into a church. Cecilia was buried in the catacomb of St. Callistus, near Rome.
At the beginning of the 9th century, Pope Paschal I discovered her incorrupt relics in the catacomb of St. Praetextatus and had them moved to Rome, to a basilica in Trastevere that now bears her name. According to reports from the two occasions her body was moved (the 9th and 16th centuries), she looked like she was simply sleeping; her body was entirely incorrupt after 1500 years.
Cecilia became the patron saint of musicians and music; in art she is often represented playing the organ.
St. Cecilia, patron saint of music
Benjamin Britten
Hymn to St Cecilia, Op. 27 is a choral piece by Benjamin Britten (1913–1976), a setting of a poem by W. H. Auden written between 1940 and 1942.
Born on St. Cecilia's day, Britten wanted to write a piece dedicated to St Cecilia for a long time. In addition to her patronage of music and musicians, there is a long tradition in England of writing odes and songs to St Cecilia. The most famous of these are by John Dryden ("A song for St. Cecilia's Day" 1687) and musical works by Henry Purcell, Hubert Parry, E. Florence Whitlock, and George Frideric Handel. Another briefer work by Herbert Howells has the similar title A Hymn for St Cecilia, but was written later in 1960. (Wikipedia)
The first known reference to Britten's desire to write such a work is from 1935 was when Britten wrote in his diary "I’m having great difficulty in finding Latin words for a proposed Hymn to St Cecilia. Spend morning hunting." The Hymn was actually composed in America, for performance in New York in 1941. However in the midst of World War II Britten and his partner Peter Pears decided to return home to England in 1942 and the composition was confiscated by customs, and rewritten on board the ship MS Axel Johnson, along with "A Ceremony of Carols".
Born on this day in 1892, Herbert Howells is something of a legend in the world of cathedral music today. However the majority of his most famous works were written after the Second World War, at a time when he shied away from self-promotion and his contemporaries perhaps rated him more for his teaching abilities.
Herbert Norman Howells CH CBE was an English composer, organist, and teacher, most famous for his large output of Anglican church music. The son of a bankrupt builder, with the community shame that carried leaving a deep mark on twelve year old Howells. The fear of penury was never far away in his mind and indeed he had to give up his job as sub-organist at Salisbury Cathedral after illness in 1917. This fear may have precipitated his desire to excel at teaching, rather than promote himself as a creative artist. Teaching paid the bills, he had precious little time for composition.
Howells was the youngest of six children with little hope of a formal education, yet his musical talent was recognised and nurtured by a member of the family of Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe who had taken an interest in the budding musician. Howells began music lessons in 1905 with Herbert Brewer, the organist of Gloucester Cathedral, and at sixteen became his articled pupil at the Cathedral alongside Ivor Novello and Ivor Gurney. Howells turned out to be a musical genius; he went on to win a scholarship to study with Parry, Stanford and Wood at the Royal College of Music and picked up most of the RCM's’s glittering prizes along the way. By the 1920s he was seen as a promising young composer of chamber music, orchestral works and songs, of whom great things were expected. Tragically his son Michael tragically died of polio in 1935 and he never got over this loss.
Andrea Gabrieli (1532/1533 – August 30, 1585) was an Italian composer and organist of the late Renaissance. His nephew was the better known Giovanni Gabrieli, (c. 1554/1557 – 12 August 1612) also a composer and organist. Both were members of the Venetian School, the name given to Italian composers of the later Renaissance working in Venice from about 1550 to around 1610 and used as a collective term for their work.
Andrea Gabrieli
Venetian School
The rise of Venice as a musical centre was in part political. After the death of Pope Leo X in 1521 and the Sack of Rome in 1527, many musicians either moved elsewhere or chose not to go to Rome, and Venice was one of several places to have a creative environment and the existence of St Mark's Basilica in Venice also attracted many composers. The unique interior of the basilica with opposing choir lofts and spacious architecture required a compositional style which exploited sound delay; so the Venetian polychoral style was developed. This grand antiphonal style, in which groups of singers and instruments played sometimes in opposition, sometimes together united by the sound of the organ was the hallmark of the Venetian School's composers of sacred music.
Today, 29th September, is Michaelmas, the Feast Day of St Michael and All Angels. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are the three named biblical angels, depicted as the beloved messengers of God.
Michael is an archangel in the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. To Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Anglicans, and Lutherans he is called "Saint Michael the Archangel and Saint Michael". In other Protestant churches, he is referred to as Archangel Michael. The name Michael means 'who is like God?'., he is described as the protector of Israel and leader of the armies of God against Satan. Michael is perhaps best known for his victory over the dragon, which is told in the Revelation to John.
"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven" (Rev. 12:7).
As recounted by the Revelation of Saint John, at the end of the world war will break at between Heaven and Hell, between good and evil. As the commander of the Army of God, Archangel Michael leads the other angels in the fight against evil, represented in this picture by a seven-headed dragon. Each of the dragon's heads represents one of the seven deadly sins.
Michael is therefore regarded as the protector of Christians from the devil, particularly those at the hour of death. Sanctuaries to Michael were built by Christians in the 4th century, when he was first seen as a healing angel.
We are all familiar with Gabriel's role in Luke's Gospel. Gabriel (meaning 'the strength of God') is the one who is sent by God to Mary to announce the birth of Christ.
Raphael (meaning 'the healing of God') is depicted in the Book of Tobit as the one who restores sight to Tobit's eyes.
Late summer is the time of two church Festivals which celebrate Mary, the Mother of God.
August 15th is the day in which the Roman Catholic Church has the solemnity of the Assumption and the Orthodox Church marks the Dormition. In the Anglican faith the Assumption is sometimes celebrated, or more simply it is a celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This celebration is often delayed until September, mainly for practical reasons since congregations and choirs are often absent on holiday in August, and is then merged with the 8th September when the church traditionally marks the birth of Mary.
Guerrero worked for several decades in Spain and Portugal, before travelling to Italy in 1581 where he published two further books of music. After returning to Spain for a few years, he next travelled to the Holy Land, only to be attacked by pirates! Nearly killed and robbed of all his money he returned to Spain penniless until Seville cathedral rescued him and re-employed him. Guerrero published a book of his experiences which met huge success and even planned a return to the Holy Land, but died of the plague in 1599.
Guerrero's unusually wrote both sacred and secular music, unlike his contemporaries Morales and Victoria. Interestingly he anticipated functional harmonic usage in his compositions, which have remained popular for centuries.
Duo Seraphim
This seems to have been the composer’s only piece (surviving complete) for twelve voices in three choirs.
Our choral scholars recorded this beautiful motet during lockdown, one voice per part. It's a wonderful achievement and a fitting end to our current cycle of recordings. Next week we are back singing in church!
Duo seraphim clamabant alter ad alterum:
Sanctus Dominus Deus Saboath.
Plena est omnis terra gloria ejus. (Isaiah 6:3)
Tres sunt, qui testimonium dant in coelo:
Pater, Verbum et Spiritus Sanctus:
et hi tres unum sunt.
Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Plena est omnis terra gloria ejus.
Isaiah 6:2-3; 1 John 5:7
You can download a copy of the score from choral wiki here under their copyright license.
Born in 1626, Richard Ayleward was the son of a minor canon at Winchester Cathedral, also called Richard. Ayleward sang as a chorister in the Winchester cathedral choir under the director of music Christopher Gibbons, son of Orlando Gibbons. Ayleward must have paid attention, or received a significant amount of tuition since his handwriting style for text and music is almost identical to Gibbons! During the English Restoration, Ayleward was organist and choirmaster of Norwich Cathedral from 1661-1664, and again from 1666-1669. It's not clear why Ayleward gave up his post temporarily in 1664 but he was reappointed in 1665 and remained until his death in 1669.
During the Civil War Interregnum Ayleward must have privately composed many choral pieces, since after the Restoration he was able to quickly produce twenty highly original anthems, one written for the Coronation of Charles II. Ayleward seems to have had distinct Royalist sympathies, and possible connections to the Royal Court, which would have not made him a popular figure during the Interregnum and hence suggests a possible reason for composing privately until the Restoration.
However Dr. Hugo Janacek, a member of a Facebook Choral Evensong group, piqued my interest recently when he shared some research of his. Janacek researches East Anglian choral music, and has used a complete set of 17th century partbooks written in Ayleward’s hand and signed by him. All the manuscripts of Ayleward's compositions were owned by Norwich Cathedral, purchased by A. H. Mann in the nineteenth century and published. However whilst Mann deserves much credit for preserving Ayleward's work, he seems to be the source of some confusion around Ayleward's dates, writing in 1886 that Ayleward's birth year was 1626, later admitting he was without proof. As part of his research, Janacek ha in fact uncovered a good candidate for Ayleward’s baptism record, which suggests he was in fact baptised in April 1625 in a village close to Winchester.
The surviving choral music consists of 20 verse anthems, 2 verse settings of the evening canticles (the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis) and the Short Service, which contains settings of music for the whole daily office. it is his Short Service which is best known. His responses, with which I was already familiar, are from this Service.
You may well have read Benedict King's letter to the Times today, in which he disparagingly dismissed England's choral tradition as "insanely expensive" and a superfluous part of the Church of England, evidence of our departure from a clear focus on faith and more specifically the cause of the financial crisis facing our churches. He couldn't be more wrong.
The quire at Ely Cathedral
King may well be "History and Economics Editor" at Five Books, but he seems to have fallen foul of the fundamental truth of economics. Namely that the price of something is a very poor indicator of its worth.
Music is such a fundamental part of worship in our churches. It allows the congregation to participate, invites people to pray and settles their mind ready for worship. Music can give words meaning, preparing the congregation for each stage of the service, conferring a sense of inclusivity and enhancing scripture. Just as children are often taught important information via song, music aids memory and connects with the soul. It is comforting, reassuring, and heightens our emotional involvement in worship. It is also a fundamental expression of joy and as such should be the foundation for praising God!
A good example of music reinforcing scripture is Thomas Weelkes "Hosanna to the Son of David". Hosanna to the Son of David is a famous example of the English 'full' anthem – as opposed to the 'verse' anthem, and opens with a majestic six-voice proclamation. It's glorious thick texture shows how effectively music can conjure up an image, it's a joy to sing! The anthem facilitates the visualisation of the scripture, and actually gives the text meaning in a modern world far removed from biblical times. Words alone simply cannot achieve this.
Celebrations have involved music since time immemorial, and Anglican choral music is inseparable from both the Church of England and our Monarchy. Unless King is in favour of a programme of disestablishment and abolition, advocating the survival of our cathedrals and churches at the expense of their music is profoundly impossible. (Our cathedrals were actually *built* for choirs with their wonderful acoustics!)
Westminster Abbey, where I was fortunate enough to sing Evensong in December
King's reference to Cranmer is also interesting, but as an historian I can assure him music has stood the test of time as a vehicle for communication, emotional connection and teaching. The congregation are not spectators, but participants. I wrote at length here about the impact of the English Reformation on music and whilst Cranmer's reform of the church in England strayed from the Lutheran model, he was a supporter of the Protestant movement in Europe. It's also worth pointing out that Cranmer's motives were mercenary as much as they were religious. And whilst Protestantism is indeed associated with plainer worship, Luther had significant appreciation for music. Not only did he like and enjoy music, (he was a rather accomplished musician himself) he deliberately included music as part of the church service as a means for worship. He believed strongly in the ethical power of music and that through it one could glorify God and grow closer to Him. Music survived as an essential and integral part of Protestant worship as a means of glorifying God and connecting with him. Calvin was deeply concerned for the piety and religious devotion of parishioners, but considered that children could "teach adults simplicity, childlike devotion, and a sincere heart when singing, even though there might be problems with intonation and the like." He was responsible for adding children's choirs to worship music.
As a chorister parent and former teacher I can perhaps reassure King that the musical education offered in cathedral schools and cathedral style choirs is, in fact, inexpensive and of enormous value to society. Places are earned by ability and potential, not social position or income and they provide children who often have little access to a musical education with unparalleled opportunity. Our choirs are a main source of Mission within the Church of England, at a time when many congregations are dwindling and the average age in the pews is increasing. It's also worth noting that even the best music directors earn significantly less than senior teachers in our schools yet in opening the window to classical choral music they promote skills and enthusiasm which stretch far beyond the individual and benefit whole communities. Cathedral choirs promote more than a tradition; they teach history, which gives the present context, train the mind and bring significant mental health benefits. For many, the chorister experience will enrich their lives for many years to come; for some it will be the foundation for a career in professional music.
If this year has taught us anything as a society, it has shown that our value system is profoundly skewed. Our mental health has been damaged by fear and loneliness, no amount of money or privilege can protect us against the virus and supporting retail and business hasn't made us any happier. What people really need, and are crucially missing, is music. Because it's so fundamentally essential for the soul.
And *that* is what is at the foundation of faith; the connection between the soul and our Maker. Prayer may be that connection, but it is the accompanying music which gives it wings.
