Evensong from Gloucester Cathedral

With this truck the sounds of ancient evensong are cast broad across the nation. BBC Radio 3 was using the spiritual setting of this ancient cathedral to celebrate the 150th birthday of Ralph Vaughn Williams today.

As the red “on air” light flashed its countdown to going live to the ether there was a further frisance added to this building that already specialises in spine tingling spiritual jolts and even Harry Potter thunderbolts.

The congregation was ancient, but still thinking they were modern. Only one person out of the 100 attendees appeared to be below the age of 50. If asked to imagine a Radio 3 audience this quireful ticked all the boxes. Curious. Quirky. Eccentric. Totally non-diverse. Some we recognised from our previous life here. Did they spot us in the shadows and the dappled late afternoon light. No doubt we are equally quirky, for sure!

In the week that the BBC celebrates its centenary I found it fascinating to be in an event that was being broadcast live across the nation and beyond to those listening to BBC Sounds.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001cnvg?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile