Installation

No, not an art installation, though I think the assembled clergy in the photo look like quite an exotic one - but a ceremony involving a great deal of endeavour in the art of music! We were up insanely early today - the alarm was set for 6am; Himself, however, woke in the dark, was sure his clock said the set time and was up, downstairs, putting on lights and so on when he realised it was only 5am - happily he didn't waken me! We were the last car onto the 9am ferry, picked up our friend Alison from the Bute ferry at Wemyss Bay, and were in good time for the 10.15 boat to Cumbrae which got us to the Cathedral of The Isles for coffee before our rehearsal began at 11am.

"Our" rehearsal here refers to the ad hoc choir, of which we are frequent members, that forms for ecclesiastical celebrations in the cathedral. On this occasion we were singing at a Solemn Evensong for the installation of the new Bishop of Argyll and The Isles, David, in his second cathedral. We had a necessarily rapid rehearsal of all the music required - hymns, canticles, a psalm, an anthem  - followed by a sandwich lunch, a half hour off to get some fresh air before the rain came, another rehearsal, and the main event at 3.30pm. By this time clergy from elsewhere in our enormous diocese were popping up, including one from the isle of Raasay, and there was much greeting and hugging. We in the choir wandered about in our red robes (think The Handmaid's Tale crossed with Whoopi Goldberg - the robes came from the States) and then joined the procession on the steps outside the main door. ...

And then the service. Himself sang the solo baritone in the Nunc Dimittis and the long ordination liturgy, with all its mentions of Scottish saints and forefathers, and the whole congregation joined in the Hymn for Cumbrae, which I wrote many years ago now for the cathedral and which gives us a chance to sing the lovely tune Selma, from the Isle of Arran, at something other than harvest. It always makes my hair stand up to hear all these people singing my words...

The photo was taken at the end, with the assembled clergy. There was another one with the choir all gathered round them, but someone else took it and so far I've not seen it. (By this time, true to form, the heavens had opened, so we couldn't have the photo-call outside).And things just got more and more jolly, as we enjoyed Prosecco and goodies in the cloisters, and people shrieked at each other (or conversed perfectly decorously; I'm just caricaturing the event) until it was time for us all to get home.

We had to wait for a ferry, and then had to leave Alison in Largs so that she could get somewhere to eat and wait for her ferry, which is currently running with a two-hour gap at tea-time (CalMac again). By the time we got home we were utterly shattered, and we've had to rouse ourselves to come up to bed (or to blog, whatever seems more truthful.) 

Just a lovely day; just great to see our friends again; just fine to get singing again with the basses giving it laldy behind me. We've been doing this sort of thing for over 50 years, but I never tire of it - I just get exhausted!