This was the first of the Wesley Holy Week
concerts-cum-religious events and it was a fascinating and unusual
happening. At least for me with my
Catholic background. The minister
presenting opening prayers, final prayer and benediction and managing 13 candles
during the service. Three parishioners
reading the story of Jesus' final week in a series of readings from Luke. A choir (8 person, SATB a capella) performing
music mostly of Bruckner and a longer Psalm 22 put to music by Charles Giffen
interspersing the other activities. The
a quiet departure by congregation and presenters. The
whole was called Tenebrae (=Shadows)
representing the fall into darkness awaiting the resurrection on Easter
Sunday. The choir was quite lovely with intriguing
harmonies, clear voices and a quiet presence.
The readings from Luke were well known and a reminder for me. The minister's activities were a little odd,
presenting items on a table and first up lighting candles then extinguishing them
during the service, but intriguing none-the-less. The whole was streamed to YouTube and is
still up if you wish to see it. Dark as
it may be for most of the service.
Intriguing and very often quite beautiful.
Jade McFaul coordinated the music for Shadows at Wesley Church. Performers were Elsa Huber (soprano) and Jade McFaul (soprano, MD), Sarah Heartwood and Evangeline Osborne (altos), Thomas Liu and Felix Huber (tenors) and Martin Magili and Lucus Allerton (basses).
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