are two of the four I took to illustrate my balloon story. Have managed somehow to retrieve them fromthe clutches of my evil blog gremlins, but couldn't help the other 'prisoners'.
They are still just about surviving but the six smaller ones are about grapefruit size and Mummy has now wrinkled, descended to ground level and is looking at the floor.
All this just so I could discover how long they could remain with some helium still in them. (19 days so far).
If this sounds slightly off the wall I must plead Easter exhaustion. Three mammoth days gone, and one remaining.
Musically it has been a wonderful experience but physically draining. Some 11 hours so far.
Tomorrow we will round off the service with the Hallelujah Chorus. By which time none of us will have any voice left.
There have been some rather odd changes to the 'normal' way of doing Easter, courtesy of our American rector, but he is getting used to us and we to him.
Much as I love Easter, I am glad it comes only once a year.
Spiritually rather traumatic, musically uplifting and exhausting in equal measure and mentally taxing it is a mixed blessing.
Happy Easter everybody.
Sounds interesting having an American rector - I wonder what the differences are.
ReplyDeleteHe is from the Episcopalian tradition and tends toward the evangelical.
ReplyDeleteOurs is High Anglican, or Anglo Catholic so there are considerable differences in approach.
Interesting times.
I spent 13 years at an Anglican convent school so grew up with High Anglican. As you say the Episcopalian tradition would make things interesting.
DeleteHappy Easter to you Ray x
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter Jane. Have just slept for two hours so feel almost human again. Lovely but very tiring EasterX
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter Ray.Easter is lovely but exhausting. x
ReplyDeleteTotally agree Jane, but will keep singing through all four days as long as I can. Happy Easter to you.
DeleteHappy Easter!
ReplyDeleteAnd, very belatedly, to you too Greenpatches.
DeleteEaster Blessings from Dalamory
ReplyDeleteEaster Blessings to you Freda and thank you.
ReplyDeleteOh I envy you singing the Alleluia chorus in a choir.....a real joy of life...I hope it went well!
ReplyDeleteSo well Jean that the audience/congregation applauded. (Unheard of in the middle of a service.
ReplyDeleteWe were showered with compliments afterwards which made the marathon 4-day sing worth while. A lovely Easter.Deo Gracias.
A very happy Easter season to you, Ray. Your singing marathon sounds to have been wonderfully well-worthwhile, even if very tiring. I love a good Hallelujah Chorus, so listen to and to sing.
ReplyDeleteHow interesting that your American rector tens to the evangelical. The American Episcopalians I've come across have all been much more on the High Church wing.
A happy Easter season to you also Perpetua. The Hallelujah Chorus is a really good sing whatever the setting and this was my first in church and as an alto.
ReplyDeleteOur rector is a great fan of Billy Graham among others and all his quotes during his sermons tend to be from American theological works so they take some getting used to.
I am finding it difficult to accept his style/approach but am working hard to do so. Perhaps time will ease the raw edges.
I'm sure it will, but I don't think I'd find his style very easy either. He doesn't sound like a very good fit to your church's long-established tradition - a bit like trying to take 'bells and smells' to a very evangelical Anglican church.
DeleteTime cures everything :-)
DeleteRay, I am just now catching up on the world. Happy Birthday! It sounds as if you have a lovely time. Many happy returns of the day!
ReplyDeleteThanks Penny it was a lovely day/week. The balloons are still slowly shrinking in the corner of my sofa and will stay there until totally defunct.
ReplyDeleteYes I do know I'm weird but there are worse things. :-)