On Wednesday 7th May, the Chapel Choir with Director of Music Marcus Pashley and organist Toby Moschard made a return visit to sing Evensong in Chichester Cathedral. The sung service included the magnificent Collegium Regale Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis, known to all choristers as the ‘Coll Reg’, and Patrick Hadley’s beautiful anthem ‘My Beloved Spake’, a favourite with chapel and cathedral choirs for over 70 years. With a Psalm and Responses to rehearse also, weeks of preparation went into this service, which was well attended despite the beautiful weather tempting the faithful to remain outside.

 

Here is an unusual angle on the day from IVth Form chorister and Music Scholar Peter Westcott:

 

After a rush from period six, having collected our robes and music folders, we hurried to collect water bottles from our Houses, as it was a fiercely hot day. We got on the coach outside Speech Hall, and left for Chichester.  Despite most of us finishing our water within five minutes of departure, the journey was perfectly cool, as the air-conditioning in the coach was fantastic.  When we arrived, having parked on a road with the coach leaning at a preposterous angle, we walked for less than a minute before reaching the vastly proportioned cathedral.

 

We were kindly supplied with orange squash and a slice each of a delicious Victoria Sponge, generously supplied by the cafeteria adjoined to the cathedral – Cloisters café and restaurant.  Whilst gorging upon the cake, and enjoying the sunshine, we spotted the RSPB, who had what seemed like a permanent tent-like structure for observing the pair of peregrine falcons which have been nesting there for a few years.  Peregrine falcons are the fastest creatures on the planet, and, despite being very lethargic on the day we saw them, were still clearly visible, swooping slowly, and perching around the spire of the cathedral.  We also heard them crying to each other but, fortunately, our own singing was rather more tuneful.

 

We then went into the choir stalls, where we rehearsed for about three quarters of an hour, and, despite the cramped conditions, Mr Pashley managed to organise us into almost-normal sections.  We then waited just outside, so as to process in for the service of Evensong, which went exceedingly well indeed. There was an outstanding solo from Tom Lyle, joint Head of Choir, in Herbert Howells’ Nunc Dimmitis. We also sang the Magnificat of the same service, and ‘My Beloved Spake’ as an anthem. We also sang a Psalm but as a result of there being no sermon, the service was relatively short, so we had a decent amount of time for a packed supper, provided by Cranleigh’s catering department, which we enjoyed sprawled on the grass on a beautiful summer’s evening, before once again climbing onto the coach, and making our return journey.

 

Peter Westcott