Digital Advent Calendar 2025 day 05

Every day throughout Advent we are pleased to offer you a little Advent treat or two. Today, in keeping with this year’s theme of angels, we hear about the annunciation, from the parish choir in “Gabriel’s Message”, Rev Sue reads “Annunciation” by Lucy Moore” and Tom, Carol and Jennifer sing “Deo Gracias” from Benjamin Britten’s … More Digital Advent Calendar 2025 day 05

The Advent Prose (Rorate Coeli)

This is one of the most challenging pieces of music I sing in the liturgical year (the other being the Lent Prose, for all the same reasons). It’s an ancient plainsong chant, using text from Isaiah, in which the patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament express their longings for the coming of the Messiah and cleansing of human sins. It is sung through Advent, building the number of verses Sunday by Sunday … More The Advent Prose (Rorate Coeli)

What’s in a name?

What’s in a name? Some of us have names that were chosen for their meaning, or because they were in the family. Sometimes there is an association, and other times the parents simply liked the name.  Some people like their names and some hate them, and choose their own nickname instead. My father was named Albert George, but at one workplace they already had a Bert and a George, so they randomly called him Tony … More What’s in a name?

Digital Advent Calendar 2024: day 24

This is the last day of Advent. The liturgical season of Christmas starts tomorrow. One more sleep. Behind the last virtual door of our parish digital Advent Calendar we have the choir singing the fabulous “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”, Tome and Carol sing “The Christmas Song”, and the choir treats you to some very familiar words set to an equally familiar – yet unexpected – tune … More Digital Advent Calendar 2024: day 24