… following the latest Government announcement. If we are a gathering, then there are too many of us. If we were holding a church service inside, and could ‘suitably distance’ then we would be fine, but not allowed to sing. However, we are ‘suitably distanced’ and outside, where all the scientists acknowledge that it is more than ten times safer. We might sing in masks …
Category: news
Music (and folders) for evensong
Music will be emailed as PDFs to all participants in our al fresco evensong, together with any additional instructions for printing/learning. The exception is ‘Alleluia, I heard a voice’ by Weelkes (OUP/ed. Roger Bray) which you need to source if you possibly can. For those who are Laudemus! regulars, we sang this in 1995, 2016 and 2018; it is also in the Oxford Book of Tudor Anthems. We may be able to provide some extra copies, but bringing your own means you can verify how uncontaminated it is (this is a copyright edition, so photocopies are not acceptable).
Please bring your own folder. If you don’t currently possess a black or very dark blue folder capable of holding A4 sheets, please think now about how you can get hold of one. We will not be bringing ours, and it will be difficult to keep track of pieces of paper if they are not kept within hard covers, especially if there is a breeze!
Required reading
For anyone who loves singing, the idea – given substantial credence when it first appeared – that singing by its very nature was a ‘super-spreader’ felt like a death-blow. The idea seemed plausible; many believed it; and singing became the enemy. But singers themselves are now fighting back. Baritone Ed Ballard, writing in the Church Times, has drawn together the very limited science which enabled the original conclusions to be drawn and counteracts it with the opposite views, also from scientists, explaining the flaws in the original argument. Read his article here (you’ll need to cut and paste): https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2020/5-june/comment/opinion/it-is-time-to-sing-again?fbclid=IwAR2v5Vq3yJge_1HD0QrutuTTgaIW9Tr4xIGZZZMBBumnETVwxyvE2hmElpo . Trouble is, the original idea has taken hold in some quarters, so we need robust scientific investigation to tell us why we don’t need to be afraid to sing. And we need it soon.
Salvaging some singing
With fingers firmly crossed, we have come up with a plan to meet in Dorset and sing Evensong this summer, in spite of Covid-19. Just one service, unaccompanied and out of doors (now there’s a challenge!), to be sung in the north-east courtyard outside Wimborne Minster. Date will be between 22 and 25 July, depending on the weather forecast. Regular updates in this slot.
While we wait
Although it looks increasingly unlikely that we will be able to run Laudemus! this year in any way which resembles previous years, we are still exploring what might be done safely.
In the meantime, you might like to enjoy this ‘virtual’ evensong from the Rodolfus Foundation – a production which is a real technical tour de force with a huge team behind it. Here is the link: www.therodolfusfoundation.org.uk/virtual-evensong
Fingers crossed …
. . . that we will be able to run Laudemus! this year, although everything will depend on the way the current Covid-19 restrictions are lifted as we move out of the stay-at-home phase. We are working to ensure that no-one has to make a major outlay for music which might not be used; we are also trying to ensure that we can respond quickly to changes governing the movement of people.
Minster 900
Every year Laudemus! sings Evensong in Wimborne Minster, and 2020 marks our 30th anniversary and their 900th! A million-pound appeal – Minster Makes Music – has been launched to repair and rebuild the organ and establish a music foundation to safeguard the future of music at this historic church. Visit www.minstermakesmusic.co.uk for details and to make a donation.
Only 26 weeks to go . . .
. . . until our 30th Laudemus week starts on Sunday 19 July. Let’s hope it’s stopped raining by then! Singing at Wimborne Minster as usual (it’s older than we are – celebrating the 900th anniversary of the present foundation) plus four other churches yet to be confirmed.
Simon Wood
All of us on the 2019 tour were aware that Simon was very unwell, and many of us also knew that he was recovering from his fourth cancer operation in as many years. It was with more sadness than surprise, therefore, that we learnt of his death at the end of the week which followed the Laudemus! tour.
We know very little of the circumstances, other than he appears to have died very peacefully at home in his armchair, and we are grateful that one of the last things he did was to enjoy a week of singing (not as much as he would have liked) and companionship with us in Dorset. As soon as funeral details are known they will be posted here.
Tired but happy . . .
. . . probably summed up most of us as we made our way home on 21 July after a brilliant week of singing Evensong in Dorset churches. We visited Weymouth, Eype, Fontmell Magna and Wimborne Minster (a glorious final Evensong) and sang our very first service of Vespers to a packed congregation in the Catholic Church of our Lady of Lourdes and St Cecilia in Blandford Forum.
With a terrific team of singers (special thanks to our outstanding young choral scholars), wonderful playing from Sam Hanson, and inspirational direction (as ever!) from Jeremy Jackman, we will be hard pushed to do better next year when we celebrate 30 years of singing Evensong in Dorset churches. The dates are 19–26 July, so keep watching this space.