Monday, April 09, 2007

Easter in East Harling

Easter in East Harling started with home made Hot Cross Buns...I'm never quite sure what to call them when they are cold. (Note the Atomic coffee maker, Tom & Vero).

It moved on through pastel shaded fairy cakes...

Then got going on the real stuff......


There was a flower festival at the Church. Here is one of the displays....done by a 90 year old man who lives in the village, his wife used to do an arrangement every year but she died 20 years ago & he's been doing it every year since. More than 60 daffs & all from his own garden.The Church was all done up in white & gold, with my vestments on Altar & Rector & Curate. It looked spectacular for the Easter Saturday evening service when the whole Church started in darkness and a procession entered for the Easter vigil bearing candles. WOW, amazing & ancient rituals get me every time. Our best bass singer sang an unaccompanied & ancient chant , the 'Exultet'. Heart breakingly beautiful.


Richard & Ray (the Tower Captain) put on a display of bellringing & we had a camera rigged up to the bells & a TV monitor down in the tower so you could see what happened when you pulled on the rope.



Just found a few more photos to put on the blog. .......
After everyone was gone from bellringing FUN. Ricardo & I and Ray (Tower captain) climbed up the very rickety ladder, over a beam or 2 and out onto the roof of the Church. My GOD the view was spectacular & what looks like a spindly little steeple is actually a huge construction made of lead. It looked like the Sagrada Familia up close. Ray said not to tell his wife Jeanette because he's been at East Harling for 15 years & never been to the top of the tower before....I know she wont read the blog so I think we're covered. There was also a display by William the organ tuner & (occasional player) of how the huge organ works. Jolly good show eh what???

3 comments:

simon said...

Reminds me of my time as a chorister at St Andrews Cathedral in Sydney!

The bells! Such memories! Also singing the Messiah ( baritone role)

:o)

JoeyJoJo said...

Great stuff Simon. Put 'Exultet' into google & download the mp3 of it....it's sensational.

JoeyJoJo said...

http://moleski.net/exultet/index.htm
try this