Scotland and Ireland Tour Travelogue Four
Dear Friends,
As the members of the Georgia Boy Choir boarded the ferry for passage over the Irish Sea, it was with mixed emotions: sadness certainly for leaving the magnificent beauty and wonderful people of Scotland behind; but excitement for what lay before them in the equally warm and beautiful Ireland. Their very large vessel docked in the busy harbor of Belfast, Northern Ireland and they immediately went to a museum dedicated to an even larger one: the RMS Titanic, which was built there and launched her fateful journey from there. The museum is fantastic and the boys really enjoyed themselves. After a few hours traveling south by bus, they arrived in the bustling city of Dublin, capital of the Republic of Ireland, and their home for the next week.
It was particularly fun that evening to join up and enjoy an ice-cream cone with their friends and colleagues from the Maryland State Boychoir who were passing through the city on their own tour of Ireland.
As the Choir-in-Residence at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Georgia Boy Choir will be singing the daily service of Choral Evensong in that magnificent place every afternoon, so most of their afternoons will be dedicated to that purpose. That leaves the mornings to explore various places in Dublin. Monday morning, they immensely enjoyed a Viking Duck Boat tour of the city in an amphibious vehicle from WW II. Their guides were splendidly personable and enthusiastic, and the guys had a marvelous time.
When afternoon arrived, though, it was time to stop being tourists and get down to the business of the work they came there to do. The St. Patrick’s Choir School was founded way back in 1432 for the purpose of having a choir to sing the daily services of worship held in the Cathedral. Still going strong today, the choristers in the school serve that purpose throughout the academic year. But when they take a summer holiday, some of the finest choirs from around the world are invited to perform in their stead so the services of worship can continue year round. This week it is the Georgia Boy Choir who will serve in that capacity.
The service of Choral Evensong is one of the most beautiful in all of the church’s liturgy. In addition to numerous prayers, which are sung throughout (the Preces and Responses), the choir also chants the appointed Psalm of the day, as well as singing settings of both the Magnificat (prayer of Mary) and the Nunc Dimitis (prayer of Simeon) – together, called the Evening Canticles, plus an anthem each day. So there is quite a bit of music to prepare for each service, let alone a whole week.
For their first service on Monday, the Georgia Boy Choir’s Artistic Director and Conductor, David White chose to sing one of the Choir’s favorite settings of the Canticles, those in D major by English composer, George Dyson with the climactic ending and glorious, final “Amen.” Their anthem, was “The Deer’s Cry,” a haunting setting by contemporary Estonian composer, Arvo Pärt of a prayer by St. Patrick himself, known as “St. Patrick’s Breastplate”
Christ with me, Christ in me,
Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
It was a moving experience for singers and listeners alike to sing the words of St. Patrick in the cathedral dedicated to him.
Click here to view a video of the Georgia Boy Choir singing “The Deer’s Cry” by Arvo Pärt.
Until next time,
The 2017 Georgia Boy Choir Scotland and Ireland Tour Team