Bra-vissima were honoured to take part in the Sunday morning Choral Eucharist and the Choral Requiem Eucharist to celebrate All Souls Day at southwark_cathedral. It was our first visit – we hope not our last. A day filled with remembrance, memory, the power of music and solemn dignified prayer. We also had in attendance during rehearsal an honorary Bra in the form of the Cathedral cat hodge_thecat who was also temporarily the Archdeacon of Lambeth. Our singing reached the hallowed spaces of every part of the Cathedral – a place where a 1000 years of history has been marked. What a sight.. what a sound.
Bra-vissima were delighted to be invited back to St Edmundsbury Cathedral to sing in services this weekend. Evensong on Saturday was an extra-special event, the service included a beautiful wedding blessing.
For observant Christians Sunday is a day of worship and rest. On Sunday 22nd October, the Sunday nearest to St Cedd’s day, the honour was ours to support Chelmsford Cathedral and its parishioners in their worship; but there was to be little rest for us. For Bra-vissima this was to be a day of singing. After days of rain and gloomy skies, a bright blue azure greeted us as we ventured at 9 am into the Cathedral and on into the Song School. A smooth rehearsal for the Choral Eucharist was had, but our brief time in the Cathedral space for practise was tempered by the hustle and bustle caused by parishioners who were partaking in the obligatory tea, coffee and cake after an earlier service. It wasn’t the low constant murmur that interrupted our thoughts and concentration, but the growing feeling that a cuppa would do very nicely right now.
After the service we were greeted with distant smiles and cordial nods alongside a plethora of kind words on our singing rendered by clergy and parishioners alike. It set us up well for the Choral Evensong, not withstanding the now obligatory disturbance at our Cathedral rehearsal in the early afternoon, this time by a distant hoover. The Evensong went without a hitch, and with the sound of our voices along side the words of prayer reverberating around the vast cavity of the cathedral it made for yet another notable day, our knowledge of St Cedd also gratefully enhanced.
On Sunday 3rd September, Bra-vissima sang in the Eucharist and Evensong services St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St Edmunds.
Music included: Missa Brevis – Sue Hughes Preces and Responses- Stephen Darlington Psalm 105 – Arr. Clare O’Hanlon Magnificat – Michael Haydn Nunc Dimittis – Hilary Khoo
Director: Julia Wilson-James Organist: Stephen King
