Summer 2000 - Easter 2001

The Schola Cantorum has an increasingly busy diary and this year has seen a number of innovations. This website was launched to provide comprehensive and up-to-date information about the choir’s engagements, as well as a number of photographs. The Schola has been re-robed after a period of some years without vestments. The choir now wears red cassocks and white cottas at all major liturgical services. The Headmaster appointed Mr Paul Gillham to give vocal coaching to the lower voices of the Schola. Mr Gillham has already made a huge contribution transforming a number of voices into focused and mature sounds.

 

During the Summer of 2000, the Schola took part as always in the Summer Concert held at School, and also sang two external masses, the first at St Mary Magdalen, Willesden Green, on the occasion of the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, and the second at Westminster Cathedral.

 

Michaelmas Term 2000 was the busiest on record, starting with the Vaughan’s Foundation Day Mass at Our Lady of Victories, Kensington. During the half-term, the choir undertook its first tour for some time, visiting Paris. The Schola sang Mass at the famous church of Saint-Séverin and a concert at the Basilique Notre-Dame des Victoires. Our visit to the Basilica was made in order to set up a link with our own correspondingly-named parish church. We also sang Mass at the Basilica to mark the start of a colloquium on the Doctrine of the Assumption, marking the 50th anniversary of its proclamation. The service was concelebrated by Père Jean-Pascal Duloisy, Curé-Recteur of the Basilica and the Reverend Timothy Dean, Parish Priest of Our Lady of Victories, Kensington and Chairman of the Governors of The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School. The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Sodano, sent an Apostolic Blessing to the boys of the Schola. As well as hard work, there was a great deal of recreation including a visit to Europe’s largest indoor water centre, a boat trip down the River Seine, much sight-seeing, and of course, an essential visit to Disneyland Paris.

 

The Schola sang two motets by Duruflé, Tu es Petrus & Tantum ergo, at the St Cecilia Concert at St Paul’s, Hammersmith, and also the wonderful Evening Hymn by Balfour-Gardiner. During the lead up to Christmas we sang at a Festival of Catholic Culture entitled Towards Advent which was held at Westminster Cathedral Hall. The choir also sang at the reopening of the recently reordered church of The Holy Cross, Parsons Green which was celebrated by Monsignor Harry Turner. Our annual visit to Nazareth House to sing Mass and Carols for the elderly and infirm took place in mid-December. The Carol Service at Our Lady of Victories was a triumph, with some exceptional singing augmented by the magnificent Brass Consort. The beginning of the service was quite spectacular, with the church in total darkness, lit only by the candles of the choir and the congregation. There were a number of stunning solos from the boys, including the notoriously scary first verse of Once in Royal, and the immaculately-performed treble and tenor solos from the beautiful In the bleak mid-winter.

 

During the Spring two members of the Schola were honoured by an invitation to sing at the Royal Festival Hall as part of a concert entitled Youth makes Music. The concert was put on by the Rotary Club of Great Britain and attracted a capacity crowd. They sang O mistress mine by Quilter and The lover and his lass by Moeran, both of which went down very well with an extremely appreciative audience. Neither of these exceptional singers had the slightest difficulty in filling the vast auditorium with their precociously mature voices, and their stage-presence and ease with the occasion are an intimation of the professional careers that await them should they choose.

 

At the Easter Concert at St Paul’s, Hammersmith, the Schola sang motets by De Séverac and Dupré, as well as the ominous and impressive Hymn of St Columba by Britten and the glorious Ave verum by Mawby. A small number of the Tenors and Basses joined forces with the professional Choir of Our Lady of Victories at the Easter Vigil, singing the Mass for two organs and two choirs by Charles-Marie Widor. The Schola’s next tour is currently being organised: we will be going to Rome in February 2002.

 

Charles Cole

3 May 2001

© The Vaughan 2001