Yesterday, after teaching my two lessons first thing in the morning, I was on the train to Birmingham to attend Maryvale's HE award ceremony. I had worked with a couple of students receiving BA Applied Theology degrees, and a group of PGCE students were also receiving their awards.
The ceremony was held in St Chad's Cathedral in the centre of Birmingham. Gorgeously Gothic. Above the high altar is a reliquary for the remains of St Chad.
From the point of view of the PGCE course, it was interesting to see Anglicans (more than one) and a Muslim among the students receiving their awards. I think that their participation in Maryvale courses represents ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue "on the ground", so to speak, instead of in the ether of "discussion". The Awards were presented by Rev. Chris Batten, a Methodist, who has a long association with the Open University and with the Academic structures of Maryvale.
The ceremony ended with the celebration of Evening Prayer (a rather nice touch), with the psalms and Magnificat sung to plainsong settings. I didn't find it very inspiring, musically. I can't help but feel that chant settings, particularly of psalms, are most at home in a monastic setting, and less so in a parish setting. It all seemed rather, well, plain, when something a bit more celebratory was called for.
It is a day like this, though, that reminds me of just how much work - and determination - is needed by the students who complete part-time degrees at Maryvale. So, congratulations to the students I worked with!
I met afterwards a young man who, over twenty years ago, had been in my physics class at school. His mother was one of "my" BA Applied Theology students. He still remembered one of my sillier representations of a standing wave (don't ask, but if you know what a standing wave is you can probably work it out without too much difficulty).
I also had the opportunity to meet and speak to Fr Guy Nicholls, of the Birmingham Oratory. We last met/spoke during student days - ie over 20 years ago. When I introduced myself to him, his immediate response was:
"You look far too young to be the Joseph Sowerby I would know...".
See that: "...far too young ..."
Made my day!
5 comments:
Congratulations on successfully delivering a batch of students :) And on the youngness, of course.
How would you have preferred to sing the Psalms and Magnificat? My choir does the psalms in Anglican psalm style, and the Magnificat in a 4 (or 5, 6, 7 or 8)-part setting, but that's a bit difficult to accomplish if you're just putting people together on short notice, and the emphasis on the prayer side of it might get lost in the crossfire.
For the Magnificat, Gregorian chant is my favourite option, but how would one festively but prayerfully manage the Psalms in a parish setting?
This is a fun problem. :)
As far as the Magnificat goes, there is an English version set to a Scottish folk melody that I use in the parish at every opportunity ...
Hi Joe,
What you saw above the reredos at the cathedral was probably the feretory for the purported relics of St Chad.
Adam:
A thought along such lines had occurred to me after I put up my post! Now corrected. Thank you.
Zero says
Having seen Joe serve at Mass this evening i can vouch for his youthful looks- he looked like a young boy on the altar! Maybe he could dedicate one of his daily posts to the secret of eternal youth!
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