Dear All…thank you for your hard work last Thursday. There is still a lot to achieve with the Venables. But I believe our joint rehearsal with the St Cecelia choir will bring things together. We will have Jonathan Hope (assistant at Gloucester/conductor of the St Cecilias) playing for us in Malvern Priory. And, again, may I remind you to get to the Priory no later than 7.15pm so we can get the seating plan well and truly sorted. We will need every inch of time on June 1st to rehearse with the orchestra which is why the seating arrangements are important this coming Thursday. As ever, please do as much listening to the available recordings of the requiem to immerse yourselves in its beautiful sound world.
As far as the services are concerned over the Elgar festival weekend - I need to advise you of the following rehearsal times -
Saturday 3rd - 4pm start in the song school - downstairs. I hope we might get a few minutes in the building before evensong, but that will depend on what time the ESO finish rehearsing for the evening concert. The service will begin as usual at 5.30pm, ending at approx 6.15pm.
Sunday 4th - Eucharist rehearsal in the cathedral nave at 9.15pm. Service is at 10.30am and will end at approx 11.50am. Please bring both Eucharist and evensong music to this rehearsal in case we get a chance to look ahead to evensong dots!
Sunday 4th - Evensong rehearsal in the Quire at 2.30pm. Service begins at 4pm and ends at approx 4.50pm. Evensong this day will include the annual attendance of the Elgar society members when a wreath is laid at the Elgar window. This short ceremony takes place at the end of evensong. The choir will process down to the nave stalls behind the congregation where we will perform Elgar’s Ave Verum at the conclusion of the ceremony.
PLEASE note the extended rehearsal times - this is because we have not had the usual amount of time to fully prepare all of the music.
I am looking forward to the coming days music making with you all. Thank you in advance for all your efforts to come!
See you in Malvern…S
