Back to normal services ....

Last night saw the end of another successful run of Musica Deo Sacra. It has been a fabulous year with organ recital, superb music, magnificent voices and a feast of liturgical colour. Our preachers have been excellent and everything ran like clockwork - except for one small thing last night - the batteries that power the belt packs for the radio microphones worn by the officiant and the "front of house" minister both decided to fail. One, mine, could be replaced - the officants couldn't be so those of us "In Quire" could hear his prayers and the Benediction - the nave couldn't. Still the music made up for it, but isn't it typical that some small and generally inexpensive item is the one thing that will let you down at the most inconvenient moment.

Another of the weeks "highlights" was the Medieval Feast in the Nave on Thursday evening.

It was great fun, presided over by "King" Michael the First, more normally known as the Town Crier, and the diners were regaled at the table by funny stories, medieval music on ancient instruments, and a fine selection of really glorious songs sung by the MDS Choir. The picture on the right shows the tables laid out in a great horseshoe and lit by candles. THe "Mummers" and singers, performed in the open space between. Some of the other fun can be seen in the pictures following which show the minstrels strolling, the choristers performing and some of the people enjoying the experience.




And before anyone has a wobbly about our use of the Nave in this manner, this is exactly how it was used in Medieval times, where it was used as a Market, a meeting hall for Parish and Town business and as a place where the "great unwashed" (In other words the common folk who weren't "In Orders") were allowed to gather to "hear" the Mass, but not usually to partake in it.