More church

The organ boy and the long haired female cantoress were back at St. Stephen's this morning, but they were using the piano again instead of the organ. There was an article in the parish newsletter that says "the organ has failed. Large cracks in the pipe chests causing air to cipher into the pipes create a loud, constant drone." So, they are trying to raise a quick $814,000 for a new organ.

I actually liked the music situation better this morning, though, with the choir in the front of the nave to the right of the sanctuary instead of up in that organ loft over the left side of the sanctuary. The choir sounded much better than usual and the music seemed more "connected" to congregational worship. Hymns this morning were Truro, Veni Emmanuel, "The Lord is my light and my salvation," and King of Glory. The communion motet was a nice, crisp, a capella "Laetentur coeli" by William Byrd. I was also pleased that the cantoress actually knows how to pronounce church Latin; they did a Magnificat setting for the "Psalm" (I didn't know David wrote a gospel!), and she correctly sang the word "mah-nyee-fee-caht" instead of what I usually here from church choirs, "mag-nee-fee-caht."