Music Update – July 2021
:Monday July 19th is being hailed as “Freedom Day” in the media as Step 4 of the government’s easing of Covid19 restrictions comes into force on that day.
For us at the Cathedral it means several changes affecting the music:-
1. Masks are no longer legally required, though you may continue to use one if you wish.
2. The Cathedral Choir can sing at Mass from Sunday July 25th .
3. Congregational singing will again be allowed from Sunday July 25th .
4. Hymnbooks etc will again be in use.
5. Enquiries from prospective new members of the Choir would be welcome.
Since the third lockdown which began on 5th January singing at Mass has been limited. Since Palm Sunday (March 28th) Lyn Mcloughlin and Robert Osmond have acted as cantors.
Since the first lockdown in March 2020, some of the choir have only sung together for approximately three weeks in late Advent and at Christmas last year. Other members have not sung at all since March 2020 and sadly, for varying reasons, we have lost one or two members during the course of the three lockdowns.
Hopefully, if society as a whole is sensible, there will be no need for further restrictions, only time will tell. For now though, we would like to recruit new singers to join existing choir members as we begin to re-establish the place and role of the Cathedral Choir in our worship.
Anyone interested is encouraged to speak to Robert Osmond, the Cathedral’s Organist & Director of Music after mass on any Sunday morning, or to call him: Tel: 07970-566466 or to email him (robert.osmond@hotmail.com). There are only two pre-requisites, 1) that you can make the regular commitment necessary to sing in a Cathedral Choir and 2) that you can sing.
Some basic information about the Cathedral Choir: We are a four-part, adult voluntary choir that normally sings at the Cathedral’s 10am Solemn Mass on Sundays and at the Sung Mass or other sung liturgies on major holy days. The weekly choir rehearsal is currently at 9am on a Sunday in the Cathedral, immediately before the 10am Mass.
Finally, a reminder that Daily Mass is broadcast at 10am on the Plymouth Diocese YouTube channel.
For us at the Cathedral it means several changes affecting the music:-
1. Masks are no longer legally required, though you may continue to use one if you wish.
2. The Cathedral Choir can sing at Mass from Sunday July 25th .
3. Congregational singing will again be allowed from Sunday July 25th .
4. Hymnbooks etc will again be in use.
5. Enquiries from prospective new members of the Choir would be welcome.
Since the third lockdown which began on 5th January singing at Mass has been limited. Since Palm Sunday (March 28th) Lyn Mcloughlin and Robert Osmond have acted as cantors.
Since the first lockdown in March 2020, some of the choir have only sung together for approximately three weeks in late Advent and at Christmas last year. Other members have not sung at all since March 2020 and sadly, for varying reasons, we have lost one or two members during the course of the three lockdowns.
Hopefully, if society as a whole is sensible, there will be no need for further restrictions, only time will tell. For now though, we would like to recruit new singers to join existing choir members as we begin to re-establish the place and role of the Cathedral Choir in our worship.
Anyone interested is encouraged to speak to Robert Osmond, the Cathedral’s Organist & Director of Music after mass on any Sunday morning, or to call him: Tel: 07970-566466 or to email him (robert.osmond@hotmail.com). There are only two pre-requisites, 1) that you can make the regular commitment necessary to sing in a Cathedral Choir and 2) that you can sing.
Some basic information about the Cathedral Choir: We are a four-part, adult voluntary choir that normally sings at the Cathedral’s 10am Solemn Mass on Sundays and at the Sung Mass or other sung liturgies on major holy days. The weekly choir rehearsal is currently at 9am on a Sunday in the Cathedral, immediately before the 10am Mass.
Finally, a reminder that Daily Mass is broadcast at 10am on the Plymouth Diocese YouTube channel.
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The Cathedral’s Organist and Director of Music is Robert Osmond who was appointed to the Cathedral for a second time in 2020, having held the post for some years during the 1990s.
As well as being Director of Music at the Cathedral, Robert is the regular Vigil Mass Organist at Sacred Heart, Paignton on Saturday evenings, when Cathedral duties allow. He had the pleasure of working with the Cathedral Dean, Canon Mark O’Keeffe, for several years when Canon Mark was the Parish Priest of Paignton. Robert has been involved in church music since the age of 7, firstly as a chorister, then as an Assistant Organist at 15 and Organist / Director of Music from the age of 21. He has served in parishes’ locally in Devon and in both Kilburn and Willesden Green in London. Raised in the Anglo - Catholic tradition within the Church of England, Robert was received into full communion with the Holy See in early 1993, by the late Fr. Tony Bennett at Sacred Heart, Paignton and was subsequently Director of Music there before being appointed to the Cathedral a couple of years later. If you might be interested in joining the choir, or for any other musical enquiries, Robert would be delighted to hear from you. He can be contacted in the following ways:- E Mail: robert.osmond@hotmail.com Mobile: 07970 - 566466 |
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