Twenty people came together to enjoy a day of music at Manchester Cathedral travelling from across the north-west of England. We were warmly greeted at the south door by Local Ambassador, Graham Curtis, and everyone at the Cathedral made us feel very welcome. The day started with a lovely Sung Eucharist for Harvest, featuring the full choir singing the Darke in F communion service and Maurice Greene’s Thou visitest the Earth, all rounded off by the glorious Dubois Toccata.
Following refreshments, we were treated to an excellent talk about the stunning Stoller/Tickell organ given by Organist and Master of the Choristers, Christopher Stokes, and beautifully illustrated on the impressive French-style nave console by Sub-Organist, Geoffrey Woollatt.
We reconvened after lunch to enjoy a very informative guided tour of the Quire and East end of the cathedral, given by Graham’s wife, Jennifer, who is a Cathedral guide, thus making the running of the day very much a family affair! Jennifer was able to explain and describe the beautiful misericords, the interesting 15th and 16th century wood carvings and colourful windows, explaining that all the stained glass in the cathedral is post-war due to the bomb damage during World War II.
The rousing Festal Evensong for St Denys, one of the cathedral’s patron saints, was sung by the combined forces of the Manchester Cathedral Voluntary Choir and the Chester Cathedral Nave Choir (pictured above). Interestingly this combined choir included not only Graham, the Local Ambassador for Manchester, but also Paul Stockbridge, the Local Ambassador for Chester. The service featured the Responses of Joanna Forbes L’Estrange, Canticles in F minor by Alan Gray and two anthems: Howells’ Collegium Regale Te Deum and Stanford’s Justorum Animae. Geoffrey Woollatt and Alex Lanigan-Palotai, Sub-Organist of Chester Cathedral shared the conducting, whilst Christopher Stokes and Darrell Smith, Sydney Nicholson Organ Scholar, shared the organ playing.
The day concluded with tea and cake and an opportunity to chat with members of both choirs. The beautifully decorated CMT cakes were much admired and tasted as good as they looked! All who attended expressed their thanks and delight in a day beautifully organised and very well spent.
by Rosemary Downey, Regional Coordinator for the North and West of England, and Wales.
