Back in the 1970s when I was a student at York university, I was part of an interdenominational community — we called it the St Martin's Lane Community, because that's where we lived.
Father Fabian Cowper, Benedictine monk of Ampleforth Abbey, and the Catholic Chaplain for York University, was our chaplain. We shared daily prayer together, using the Ampleforth setting for Compline in the evening, and every Thursday we used to sing Vespers in Latin at All Saints Pavement Church.
As you know, it is important to me to keep my belongings to a minimum, but one of my absolutely treasured possessions (now owned only in electronic form), carried through the years, has been a recording three of our community members made of William Byrd's three-part Mass.
In the early 1990s, when I was writing my third novel The Long Fall, which traces the story of two men coming to terms with the profound illness and subsequent death of one of them, I listened over and over and over again to this Agnus Dei from the Byrd three-part Mass. It is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard.
Roger Wilcock (whom I married and is the father of my children) sings the bass line; Michael Guilding sings the tenor line, and John Williams the counter tenor. Mike had an absolutely stinking cold the day they recorded the Mass, despite which he sang brilliantly — he loved that music dearly.
The picture accompanying the chant is of a stained glass panel by my daughter Alice Wilcock.
I do hope you like it. I am only just learning how to upload music to YouTube, but I have uploaded all the bits of that Mass for you to listen to.
6 comments:
cried. so beautiful. thank you for sharing this with all of us.
:0)
Yes — I think it's so exciting that with modern technology we can share these things that once would have been just private and not reached many who might appreciate them. It makes me happy that on the internet those with minority interests and find each other right across the world, and feel strengthened and understood. x
Hi Pen! Just wanted to check in with you to say a heartfelt thankyou for sending me your beautiful book.I have sent a little card but you know how the post can be... and I HAVE to be certain you know how much I appreciate it. And you. Beautiful post again... very moving through headphones late at night. I’m sure it must have left you with a bittersweet footprint having shared the experience with such talented folk.
Thankyou for sharing- Deb xx
Through headphones late at night is perfect for that music.
My memories of that community and the time we had together are all good. They were special times and wonderful people.
Thank you for you lovely card, which arrived here safely. xx
Gorgeous. I love Byrd's music, and it's lovely to know what you were listening to when you were writing The Long Fall (a book I loved reading, and found very moving and profound). I too write whilst listening over and over again to particular pieces of music, and they're forever associated in my mind with the creation of whichever story they accompanied. Thank you for sharing xxx
Isn't that interesting? It would be fascinating to have a writers' retreat exploring the connection between creative writing and inspirational music!
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