Intelligent leisure

Well, there's been a certain amount of intelligent leisure in Dougal land in the last 7 days.  We went to a Friends do at the National Gallery.  And enjoyed the on loan Rodin sculpture "The Kiss" (see above).  I didn't know there were 3 of them - one in Paris, one in Copenhagen and one in the Tate (in Edinburgh now for a while) which was left by a rich eccentric collector of (mainly homo-erotic art) to that douce Sussex burgh of Lewes.  The cooncil covered its naughty bits with a tarpaulin for many years.  I'm sure Bishop Benn would have approved.

Then we actually had some time off when we didn't have to do any family duties so took ourselves off to sunny Durham to mooch around some of Rachel's old haunts, walk on the riverbank and go to Evensong in the Cathedral.  Beautiful psalms to austere plainchant, polyphonic canticles in Latin (Vittoria in part) and decently constructed intercessions including one of my favourite prayers for the Church by Archbishop William Laud:

 "Gracious Father, I humbly beseech thee for thy holy Catholic Church, fill it will all truth, in all truth with peace.  Where it is corrupt purge it; where it is in error, direct it; where it is superstitious, rectify it; where any thing is amiss, reform it; where it is right, strengthen and confirm it; where it is in want, furnish it; where it is divided and rent asunder, make up the breaches of it; O thou Holy One of Israel.  Amen."

And so it's back to work but feeling refreshed and strengthened.

Worth the hirple!

As indicated previously, I decided to limp along to Evensong @ Old St Paul's tonight.  I'll be candid and confess that I have always found it a gloomy interior, personally preferring the light and space of St Michael' and All Saint's or indeed even St John's Princes Street.  But it is ideal and perfect for candlelit Evensong and Benediction on a winter's evening.  Especially when the lights are minimal and all the faithful have a taper to lighten their darkness and follow the service order with. The choir were excellent, the Psalms to Anglican chant (which I prefer to that Widow Twankey music called Gregorian chant!).  And a proper use of silence, with no home made intercessions.  Sublime!  And my hip ached not too much.  Then home to veggie enchiladas. Yum!

Evensong and a quitting

For the 1st time in yonks I attended Evensong tonight. Working day shift meant Mass was out and the brief stroll to Princes St was easy enough. The lovely warm bath feel of Cranmer, chant and canticles, 2 A&M hymns and peaceful intercessions was a joy, even if the sermon was not up to my former placement supervisors best! Anodyne tending to soporific actually - glad I had a strong coffee under my belt.

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury has resigned - which I think was necessary in the circumstances. To boast of the integrity of your expenses and then to be caught out by £40K - that's a quitting matter. I have a wee bit of sympathy on the in closetedness, but, really, the Lib Dems are anything but intolerant of LGBT individuals. And to argue that you didn't think you were partners because you didn't have a joint bank account - well, that's silly, not to say utterly unbelievable. Peter Tatchell was rather good on the BBC this morning about it all. A pity, because Mr Laws was certainly able. But it would have been impossible for him to stay.

Mondays' are my day off...

usually. But today was a bit different. Being as today was the 175the anniversary of the start of the Oxford Movement, I decided to join the day of prayer in thanksgiving for it by opening the Church for an hour and inviting anyone who was free to join me in an hour of silent prayer, concluding with a Eucharist. 2 did which was nice. I said Mattins (silently), read Keble's Assize sermon (if he could see the state of the nation today, he'd see a rather nearer approximation to National Apostasy than Gladstone's suppressing some Irish sees!) and then we sang "Blest are the Pure in heart" before celebrating the Holy Mysteries. Rather nice and I'm sure the deceased Hon Canon of Cumbrae who festival today was would have approved.

Then to hospital to visit Sadie one of our old dears who had had a fall and is awaiting physio. Must encourage peeps to visit her as I'm the only visit she's had since going in on Thursday. And then by train to the Cathedral for a Festal Evensong to welcome our visiting Bishop's and spice (spouse is singular, spice plural). Excellent singing - Introit Stanford "O for a closer walk", versicle's Rose, Canticles Dyson in D, anthem Ireland "Greater love hath no man". We then sang "Thy hand O God has guided" very lustily, blessed all the Bishop's with some Rutter and sent them off to Lambeth by bus (via a drinks party in the Resurrection Chapel) to the rousing sound of Brewer's Marche heroique!! Although the Dambuster's March might have been more fitting!

Chit chat with the folks assembled followed. Ye Provost looked at me and said "Why are you here?" "Well, it helps to pass the time" I murmured. He laughed and remarked at least I was honest! A.N. Other (who had seen me at the Prayer Book Society AGM) asked if the service was the BCP I approved of. Answer: yes, with a good choir and bucket loads of incense!

On the train back I read that Scotland has got the kiddies Olympics in 2011. In Lanarkshire. They're going to have Youth Olympics in Airdrie and Coatbridge. Aye. Right. Sponsored by Buckfast Abbey? Replacing the discus with s deep fried pizza? How will they tell the track suited and trainer ed competitors apart from the natives? (Answer: Olympians don't wear Burberry baseball caps).

You've got to laugh!

In Quires and places where they sing.

Off tonight to the diocesan Festal Evensong in St Mary's. It was supposed to be an event for choirs from all over the diocese to come together, practice and sing Stanford in B together. I think there were reps from 2 choirs other than the Cathedral. The clergy were no better. 3 Cathedral staff (1 acting as thurifer), the Bishop, the Dean and me, plus one priest singing as a tenor with their choir and acting as a superannuated choirboy, rather than a clerk in Holy Orders! So we were put into copes and the non-Cathedral clergy read the lessons. It sounded stunning and all credit to the choirs - the Stanford Te Deum sung as an anthem being a particular treat. I was sat next to the Vice-Provost and got a glorious view of the Palozzi stained glass window over the Resurrection Chapel. In the evening sunlight it is truly stunning.

I giggled rather at the diversity of choir habit worn by the clergy. The Dean and Cathedral priest wore cassock, lace cotta and stole + cope in the Dean's case - very Fortecuse O'Connell! The Bishop and Provost were in cassock-alb and cope - tres Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite. The Vice Provost and I were in cassock, Old English surplice and Cope - Parson's Handbook personified! It's odd for me to be part of the least Roman and most Anglican looking section of the clergy collective. I'll be after a Canterbury Cap next!