Brass Nerve

I know some of you will recall having seen this fine fellow before, but I felt he was due an airing again.

When I have a reading on the occasional Sunday he is what my A4 copy rests on.

The bible permanently on his mighty back is a vast and very heavy early 19th century copy of the King James.

Never used in our services sadly, but always open for visitors to examine on it's brass wings, the "Budgie" as he is affectionately known is the obvious resting place for this hefty tome.

The reason he is wearing this rather fetching bonnet is that I felt sorry for him some years ago when the church was beautifully decorated for Easter so I made him an Easter bonnet.

Our then rector graciously permitted him to wear his lacy cap for the whole service on Easter Day.

I photographed him from underneath which is why he looks more like Mother Goose than a dignified Eagle.

Nevertheless, I am sure I've caught the odd reproachful glance from his beady eye as if wondering why he has never since been given some headwear on 'gala' occasions.

Am currently trying to devise something suitable for this Christmas Day.

Ideas welcome.

Singing Like a Bird............A Crow!

This week we  had the Mayor's Remembrance Service at St Mary's.  That was on Thursday evening and was reasonably well sung.

On Friday evening we had our normal choir practice plus an extra half-hour's run-through for our annual Chiltern Brewery Christmas Shop opening.  About 10 carols - some of which we knew!

Today (Saturday) we woke to freezing fog followed later by torrential rain  and made our bleary-eyed way to the village where the brewery shop was waiting to greet us like old friends.

We did a h alf hour stint went home for lunch and returned for a repeat of the programme at 2 pm.

There were only 6 of us but we did our best with our lovely Chris on her keyboard.  The sound was....well ....different.

This afternoon we had each tried a tiny thimble sized drop of one or two of the fabulous range of drinks they sell and it had improved our approach to the music if not our voices so much that we had quite a few compliments from customers.

With two services tomorrow, one in church and one in the market square we will know what to do if the sound is not as good as it should be.

Strange that don't you think?