Sunday 25 June

David: (opening prayer)

May our words,

and the thoughts they bring to everyone here,

give glory to you, O God. Amen.

Please sit down.

Fraser:

In some churches, sermons might have all the ideas beginning with the same letter. We don’t have that sort of sermon often at the Cathedral.

But for our sermon tonight, what I wanted to say did come out as 4 themes, all beginning with the letter C.

So this evening, David and I give you: The 4 Cs of Chorister Life.

The four Cs are: Courage

David:       Challenge

Fraser:      Confidence

David:       Community

Fraser:

So to start with: Courage.

At my first rehearsal as a pre-chorister, aged 7, I was physically sick with nerves about performing in the Cathedral. Something I am sure gives Dr P nightmares still!

David:

I remember my first service standing next to my brother James, the other brother George was just opposite me, and I was just constantly looking around the building baffled by it all. And probably not singing much.

Fraser:

But through growth in myself and guidance from Dr P and my other vocal coaches, support from choir matron, gappers and my parents and friends I have now the courage to perform solos, sing in front of the Queen, sing in different venues such as HMS Victory, perform on an amazing choir tour to Sweden this year, and even just to stand and talk to you here today.

David:

Early on as a probationer, I remember listening from the hall to a service of Evensong broadcast on the BBC by the Choir. Then, when I was old enough to be trusted, it was amazing to have performed in so many BBC services myself. It needs courage as you watch the red light which means the broadcast is about to start.

Fraser:

The teaching I have learnt over my time in choir has allowed me to apply the word of God in my everyday life, whether that is dealing with exam stresses at school, calming my nerves on the cricket field or working as a team to create a stage production.

David:

Number 2 of our 4Cs of Chorister Life is: Challenge.

Being in the choir has given me lots of opportunities and helped me face lots of challenges: sometimes singing in front of hundreds of people or doing a reading - or doing a sermon like I am today.

Fraser:

But choir life is not always easy. You must sacrifice your time, get up early to go to practice, miss the occasional party, or even open your presents late on Christmas morning as you have Christmas service to sing. As time passes these sacrifices may have been challenging but worthwhile. With the sport and drama I do as well, sometimes I have doubted whether I had enough time in the day to fit everything in, to be the best that I could be in all the things that I do…. or just to get my homework done in time! I am proud though that I have persevered and chosen to make my dedication to choir a continued priority throughout the 5 years I have served.

David:

Now as much as I like going to choir, I don't like getting up early on a Sunday morning or sometimes having choir after a long day of school. Yes, there were times I wondered about giving up. But my mum always says that however grumpy I am going off to choir, I come out happy - so clearly I enjoy the challenge. For example last week we sang the Widor and that's a piece I really like and it actually ended up making me come out pretty cheered up and humming it afterwards - and that just demonstrates the power of music for us. I’ll be able to look back on my time in choir and the music I’ve learned, when in doubt or during change in the future. And I’ll remember words and phrases like the psalm we sang today: Psalm 46 “God is our hope and strength: a very present help in trouble”.

Fraser:

Our third C now: singing in choir builds confidence.

Learning and performing often complex musical pieces can seem daunting at first but as I gained experience in the choir, my confidence grew so that I could undertake these challenges, introducing me to fantastic musical experiences that I would never have accomplished through any other means apart from through choir. The confidence gained from the discipline of my choir duties allows me to take on more challenges in life - from facing the fast bowler in cricket, to performing on the big stage in senior school productions in the New Theatre Royal. I hope I will be able to draw from the musicality, teamwork, rigour and professionalism that my years in chorister training have allowed me to build.

David:

Choir really gave me a head start on being able to read music, and that helps my confidence with music groups I have been in and ones I’m currently in. From the choir I also gained experience working in a group and getting on with new people. Some of whom I am now very good friends with - like the one who is standing next to me!

However all this amazing stuff was put to rest due to the pandemic and we had to do morning rehearsals over zoom. It needed a lot of confidence to try to sing when you were on your own at home. And my brothers and I had to film a trio in lockdown for Easter day for the Diocese of Portsmouth.

Fraser:

Today’s anthem by Benjamin Britten uses words of a man who faced mental health issues and overcame adversities through his belief in God. The music has beautiful changes of styles, rhythm, and pace throughout. For me, these represent the balance between the trials that Smart faced, and the stillness and confidence that he found in the end in the word of God.

David:

And finally, our fourth C is: Community.
Fraser:
Saving the best to last!

David:

So this is our TOP C!

Fraser:

The best thing about choir is the camaraderie and outright fun that I have gained from being a chorister. From my first easter egg hunt, our bowling outings, Nando’s meals out and of course our amazing choir tours. Chorister life has been great. I have built brilliant friendships with my year group peers like David, and Noah and Daniel, but also I appreciate the bonds that I have formed with both older and younger age groups in my choir family, not forgetting the inspiration given by the gappers and of course Dr Price himself.

David:

We struggled in lockdown because of the lack of community. But we were able to go on tour again, this year, to Sweden, which was fantastic. We did concerts and went out for meals almost every night and just had an amazing time. It also brings me to thank Dr P, the matrons, the back row, Mr Gunga and Canon Joe and Canon Angela for all the hard work they put in to make it such a special trip.

Fraser:

To try to sum up now: I am proud of all that I have achieved through my choir journey. Choir is part of me and always will be.

David:

I believe that choir will have a long lasting effect in years to come: like in an application to be able to say I served in a choir for over 6 years: 11 hours a week every week. And through the choir I have had so many amazing experiences.

Fraser:

I feel very privileged to have experienced all the amazing adventures that I have had through my commitment to choir and attending PGS.

But as the second Bible reading said, in the eyes of God these privileges are not what is important, rather it is more my actions, and what I do with these privileges and how I utilise them to make a difference to others around me, that matters in the eyes of God.

David:

We need to try to do as much as we can with these experiences and abilities we have been given. With God’s help, everyone can achieve more than they first think they are capable of – like we have done in the choir.

Fraser:

My time at choir has introduced me to the teachings of God that give me confidence to tackle all that the world throws at me and know that God is always there to support me.

Together: Amen!