Westminster Cathderal

My last comments for London, as I must go to Yotel, pack, and get some sleep to get up early for my early flight to Zurich. Just in case, don't worry if I am not back on-line for awhile. That will not mean my plane crashed. It will just mean that I have been unable to get on-line on the Isle of Reichenau where we will be bused almost immediately after landing in Zurich - although the hotel claims it has Wi-Fi. I just haven't had luck with wi-fi here.

Anyway, quickly, I saw the MAN himself: Martin Baker. A still youngish looking, mid-to-late thirtysomething handsome man. Vespers was 5 lay clerks singing stupendously well, chanted, but the even verses of the Magnificat were polyphony by one "Zacharius." Sounded like a 16th century composer, but I had never heard of him. The Mass had the Propers chanted and they added a woman (or male alto) to the 5 male clerks (as the boys were "on holiday")to do a Mass by Sam Sheppherd (another 16th century composer).

Sadly the attitude of the Cathedral Administrations seems to be, "well we inherited this choral tradition thingy from Cardinal Vaughan back in 1903, and we have this famous choir school, and they have made all of these famous recordings, so we just can't get rid of them, and, drats, we have to accomodate them some, but - let's try to just ignore them as much as possible." Only slightly better than the way Basil Fawlty treated customers. I have heard this from others and that was the "feel" of Mass and Vespers. Others have told me of this and I concur. It has been going on for the last 20 years or so. James O'Donnell left over this. We'll see how long Martin Baker lasts. He has my sympathy, but this is one of the hazards of the job.

I am thinking of creating the Tomb of the Unkown Choral Director.

I want to thank everyone who has written comments and the clock, thanks to Ken's advice, should be right for London now.

Ta