I had a lovely day with the Sisters at the Poor Clare Convent in Arundel yesterday. Since I last visited there have been 4 new additions to community including a teacher of speech and voice studies at the Liverpool School of Performing Arts. She was young, vibrant and with a great voice - not the sort usually associated with singing the Office, more with Les Miserable ! She was a Post Grad at the RAM with a colleague of mine, Mary Hammond, and it was a strange mix of 'jobs' for her to be having a singing lesson and learning some beautiful sacred music !
She seemed very at home within the convent, and I hope will find her answer and decides whether or not she wishes to make her life there.
A quiet and charming young French sister is transferring from the Poor Clare Abbey in Southern France, and she too had a well trained voice, which with some encouragement will open up to a fresh soprano. She had been a very young Abbess so it seems, but needed a change of pace and scenery. She was so responsive and keen to do well.
I was teaching a piece using the setting of Anima Christi, by a young Italian composer which the Abbess had picked up when she was in Rome, and it is gorgeous! I had already got myself a photocopy - it is SATB, but obviously we only use SA and a solo part within the Abbey! I will, however, be using it with my band of miscreants back in Paradise!
I re use quite a bit of music that I glean from all the religious houses I visit. They seem to have a source of repertoire that I have not managed to penetrate as yet. Still, what I pick up is always beautiful, universally usable and most importantly, very accessible to everyone!
Am off in 10 minutes for my second day somust sign off!
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