St Albans Abbey, Saturday May 17th 2008

It's once again time to start thinking about the Royal School of Church Music Diocesan Choirs Festival. This event is held biennially - using the 'even years' - and the next one will take place on Saturday May 17th 2008; once again using St Albans Abbey as the venue and under the capable baton of Andrew Lucas. The timing for the day will be from 1:45 p.m. to roughly 6:15 p.m.

We have thought long and hard about this event and, in an attempt to make it resonate more with 'normal' parish worship, which has become increasingly Eucharist/Communion-based, are proposing a different format for a trial period.

That does not mean, however, that we will be dispensing with Evensong altogether. Very few people get to hear cathedral choirs doing their job, and this year we have asked them to sing a shortened form of their usual service of sung Evensong instead of giving a recital at the start of the Diocesan Choirs Festival. This will contain music that is outside the capabilities of average church choirs. We are therefore participating in what they normally do, and from the anthem onwards we will join together.

Production of a festival service book is thus simplified; in any case, it has been becoming increasingly difficult to find new material for Evensong in which people would want to invest. The festival book that is being compiled will comprise music which is much more suited to parish worship. To make it even more useful for parish choirs, it will be made into an area resource book from which the music for the festival will be chosen. As a bonus, it will also include other pieces of good value and rare material that will not be used at this particular festival.

'Hot off the press': we are also very pleased to announce the inclusion at the Festival of a new hymn we have commissioned from the pens of Paul Wigmore (text) and John Barnard (music). It is called 'We come with joy' and should be a great addition to any festive occasion when the subject of music is being celebrated. It has unison, harmony and descant verses and an accompaniment which links everything together. Best of all, it has been written to be within the capabilities of all choirs, large and small. The reverberant space of the Abbey should make for a splendid inaugural outing!

We feel that the price of the book, £6.75, with a discounted price of £6.25 for orders of twenty copies or more, represents exceptional value.

Lest anyone wonders if this means we are 'dumbing down', please feel reassured that the music for the Diocesan Choirs Festival will still provide a challenge; the idea is to keep the festival fresh and vibrant, whilst broadening the range of music suitable for parish choirs.

There will once again be regional rehearsals to help choirs get to grips with the festival music. As before, these will be in the capable hands of Christopher Muhley and Roger Carter, and will be held in St Albans, Hitchin and Bedford, each one running from 19.45 - 21.00. Please do not arrive any earlier than 19.30 at any of the venues. They will all be held in April, to avoid clashing with Easter. Here is the full list of regional rehearsals:

• Monday 14 April - St. Mary's, Goldington
• Wednesday 16 April - St. Saviour, St. Albans
• Thursday 17 April - St. Mary's Hitchin

The Diocesan Choirs Festival is traditionally the time when Area Awards for the last two years are presented, and qualifying choristers and choir trainers can rest assured that this important aspect is being retained.

To whet your appetite further, here are some of the musical highlights from this year's festival:

• Main anthem: Ascribe unto the Lord (Samuel Sebastian Wesley)
• Soprano/Treble anthem: Doubt not thy Father's care (Edward Elgar)
• Alto/Tenor/Bass: View me Lord (Charles Wood)
• Response to intercessions: Agnus Dei (Thomas Morley)
• Te Deum (Robert Walker)
• Hymn - I come with joy (new festival commission)

The closing date for bookings was 15 March.