Wedding Anniversary

Today would have been our thirty fifth wedding anniversary. Ely visit was abandoned earlier in the week, before the latest government announcements.

When I had the logburner installed I said no to a mantel as all it seems to be was a repository for junk. I’ve just gone to put something on the now non-existent mantel. I also found out who’s been using it as a repository for junk over the past thirty-six years.

This morning was to make the base of the log store (must stop calling it a woodshed). It really is designing on the fly as I’ve bought wood and am trying to make use of full lengths and half lengths in order to get the most efficient design. It seems to be working, for the base at least. That’s all that got done, as I had an emotional moment listening to some music, and at 4pm raised a glass along with some Ely friends. We’ve arranged to do it again in a couple of weeks.

Super I’d cooked last night so that was simple. After I built the base I decided that I needed some time – I just didn’t realise how much I needed it. Tomorrow is the first day of remote teaching, so it has the potential to be busy.

Music:

Here starteth the Ely Fest. First, a view of the octagon, built because that tower that was there fell down in 1322.

As we didn’t make evensong, two canticles.

I first heard this when I was in a choir that sang it in St Nick’s Leicester. The solo soprano, a very talented friend, gave a purity of tone I’ve seldom heard since. If she reads this, thank you.

Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924), Magnificat in G, Choristers of Ely Cathedral, solo George Bartle, recorded in 1992.

The Nunc Dimittis from the Ely Service of Christopher Robinson.

Christopher Robinson (1936-), The Ely Service, Nunc Dimittis, first performance.

More on George Bartle – https://www.tcmusick.com/george-bartle

Ēriks Ešenvalds is a Latvian composer. From 2011 to 2013 he was Fellow Commoner in Creative Arts at Trinity College.

Ēriks Ešenvalds (1977-), Trinity Te Deum, Trinity College Choir in rehearsal at Ely Cathedral

Published in 1589, Ne irascaris Domine is one of William Byrd’s finest compositions. Often performed during Holy Week, the motet is sung here in Ely Cathedral’s Lady Chapel – which happens to be the largest medieval Lady Chapel in the world

Ne irascaris Domine satis,
et ne ultra memineris iniquitatis nostrae.
Ecce respice populus tuus omnes nos.

Be not angry, O Lord,
and remember our iniquity no more.
Behold, we are all your people

“Britain’s Cathedrals & their Music” 1: Ely Cathedral (1965) Director, Arthur Wills, narrated by Sir John Betjeman

Ely, Cambs (1987) – The Restoration of Ely Cathedral

Interpreting Ely Cathedral – Dr Lynne Broughton – Gresham Lectures

This isn’t Ely.

And finally. I thought I would be OK. That was until this came up on my feed. Sandy spoke this as we scattered her mum’s ashes in 2006.

This is John Rutter’s setting, Clare Benediction, sung by a choir who have come together online to celebrate Mothering Sunday.

I thought the next time I would hear it would be when we use it to scatter Sandy’s ashes on a cliff in west Cornwall overlooking the Atlantis and the Scilly Isles, when we can, but …

The (Virtual) Girl Choristers of Holy Trinity Guildford sing Rutter’s A Clare Benediction

 

 

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