INFORMATION FOR VISITING CHOIRS
WELCOME FROM THE SUB-ORGANIST On behalf of the Dean and Chapter of Manchester Cathedral, may I thank you for bringing your choir to sing in this beautiful building. I recognise that visiting choirs involve much hard work and preparation, and without your contribution during this time, our musical and liturgical offering would be greatly reduced. We do everything possible to make our visitors feel welcome, and in this booklet you will find guidelines and information to make your time at the cathedral easier and more enjoyable. Any further information you require is available on request. I hope that you enjoy your time here, and come back to sing again in years to come. Kind regards Geoff Geoff Woollatt Sub-Organist 2
CONTENTS Contact Information 4 Service & Rehearsal Times 5 Repertoire 6 Hymns & Psalms 6 Cantoring 6 Visiting Clergy 7 Organists 7 Robes & Music 7 Safeguarding 8 On Arrival 8 Procession 8 Refreshments 9 Visitor Centre 9 Accommodation 9 Service Running Orders 11-14 Gospel Responses 15-16 The Trisagion (Lent) 16 3
CONTACT INFORMATION Geoffrey Woollatt, Sub-Organist 0161 833 2220 ext. 215 geoffrey.woollatt@manchestercathedral.org Kerry Garner, Worship & Music Administrator 0161 833 2220 ext. 238 worship-music.admin@manchestercathedral.org Visitor Centre, ProperTea 0161 832 3220 hello@properteadeveloper.com Cathedral Office 0161 833 2220 4
SERVICE TIMES Monday Saturday Sunday 1730 Evensong 1030 Sung Eucharist 1730 Evensong REHEARSAL TIMES Choir and organ rehearsal times should be booked well in advance with the Cathedral Sub-Organist. The Song School is usually available for rehearsal throughout the day it houses a grand piano and rehearsal stalls. Rehearsals in the cathedral (robed) may take place at the following times: Monday Friday Saturday Sunday 1630 1720 for Evensong 1630 1720 for Evensong 0950 1020 for Sung Eucharist 1630 1720 for Evensong Please note that there are said Matins and Eucharist services on Sunday mornings at 0845 and 0900 respectively. We ask that choir members enter the cathedral quietly during this time. 5
REPERTOIRE Introits are not normally sung at Manchester Cathedral, but may be appropriate on special feast days (this will be indicated to you by the Sub- Organist). For Evensong, please choose Responses (Festal, Ferial or Plainsong are acceptable), a setting of the Canticles, and an anthem. For the Eucharist, please choose a communion setting and a motet. The singing of the Benedictus is optional, but your preference should be indicated on your booking form. HYMNS AND PSALMS For details of chosen hymns and psalms for the day, please contact the Worship and Music Administrator. Hymns are usually taken from the New English Hymnal. For psalms at Sung Eucharist, the Common Worship Lectionary is used. If you wish to discuss the number or length of the psalms to be sung, please contact the Sub-Organist. Please bring your own Hymn Books and Psalters, as these will not be provided by the cathedral. CANTORING The Canon Precentor will normally cantor at Evensong. If he is unavailable, you will usually be informed in advance, but please have a cantor on standby 6
in case of exceptional circumstances. Please ensure that when you submit details of your repertoire, you also include details of the Preces and Responses chosen. VISITING CLERGY Manchester Cathedral welcomes visiting clergy to participate in services, and to robe and process with the cathedral clergy. If you wish to bring your own clergy, please inform the Sub-Organist on your booking form, so that the Canon in Residence can be informed. ORGANISTS Visiting choirs are asked to bring their own organist, or to ask the Sub- Organist to assist in finding one (please note this may incur a fee). Rehearsal times should be booked with the Sub-Organist, who will also provide you with a list of available pistons. ROBES AND MUSIC The cathedral cannot make their own cathedral choir robes available to visiting choirs. If choirs do not possess robes, they should dress in a formal manner for services (e.g. suit, tie and black shoes for men, black dress and shoes for women). The cathedral choir library (including hymn books) is not available for visiting choirs. Photocopies of hymns and psalms can be sent on request. 7
SAFEGUARDING Manchester Cathedral takes safeguarding incredibly seriously. A copy of the cathedral s Policy Statement for Safeguarding Children is enclosed. Please read this, complete the accompanying form, and return it to the Sub-Organist as soon as possible. ON ARRIVAL On arrival at the cathedral, please report to a Verger. They will direct you to the Song School for robing, arrange a rehearsal of the processional routes and receiving of communion, and will answer any questions you have. If there are more than 25 members in your choir, the Lay Clerks Vestry will also be available for you to use. PROCESSION A Verger will arrange a walk-through of the processions for services which you are singing. For Evensong, choirs should line up in silence in the corridor between the Song School and the Jesus Chapel no later than 1725. A member of cathedral clergy will greet the choir and say the vestry prayer. For Sung Eucharist, choirs should line up in silence in the Chapter House no later than 1025. After the Vestry Prayer, the choir will process to the South 8
Quire Aisle before the processional hymn begins. Detailed running orders for all services can be found on pages 11-13. REFRESHMENTS Choir members are welcome to use the cathedral s kitchen facilities in between rehearsals and services. Please ensure that children are kept away from cooking appliances and the hot water boiler. VISITOR CENTRE The Visitor Centre is situated directly opposite the South Porch of the cathedral, and houses a restaurant serving hot and cold meals and drinks. Opening times are: Monday Saturday 1000 1830 Sunday 1000 1700 Contact details can be found in the front of this booklet. ACCOMODATION The cathedral has a special arrangement with the city centre Crown Plaza Hotel for reduced rates on rooms, which visiting choirs are welcome to take advantage of. Please visit the cathedral website for further details, and quote Manchester Cathedral when booking. 9
A similar arrangement exists with the Premiere Inn Hotel, directly opposite the cathedral. Rooms can be booked through the cathedral website. For further suggestions, we recommend www.visitmanchester.com Additional details can be obtained from: Manchester Tourist Information Centre Town Hall Extension Lloyd Street Manchester M2 5LF Tel: 0161 234 3157 10
SERVICE RUNNING ORDERS EVENSONG (BCP) Welcome Hymn Sometimes the officiant will choose to welcome the congregation. Please check with whoever is taking the service. Sundays only. Announced. Responses Psalms First Lesson In BCP translation. Announced. There should be a 30 second silence following the lesson before the choir stand. Magnificat Second Lesson There should be a 30 second silence following the lesson before the choir stand. Nunc Dimittis Creed Said. Opening words are not repeated. Lesser Litany & Lord s Prayer Responses & Collects Anthem All sung. Announced. 11
On weekdays and Saturdays, the service then follows in this order: Prayers Hymn Said. Ending with the Grace. Announced. Blessing Organ Voluntary Dismissal In corridor. On Sundays, the service then follows in this order: Sermon Hymn Prayers Hymn Announced. Said. Ending with the Grace. Announced. Blessing Organ Voluntary Dismissal In corridor 12
EUCHARIST (COMMON WORSHIP) A copy of the running order of the Eucharist is enclosed with this booklet, but please note the following: The choir should assemble in the Chapter House in silence, no later than 1025. Hymns are not announced during this service. The organist should aim to finish their organ prelude by 1025. Notices precede the opening hymn, ending with an exhortation to keep silence for a moment. (During Lent, the choir sing the Trisagion from the South Choir Aisle) The organist plays over the opening hymn either at a signal from a member of clergy, or at 1030 after an appropriate silence. As the processional hymn is sung, the choir and clergy (led by a crucifer) process down the South Quire and South Nave Aisles, up the centre of the Nave and into the Nave stalls. The choral portions of the Eucharist consists of hymns, a communion motet, and a communion setting in English or Latin (Gloria, Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei). The Gloria is replaced by the Kyrie in Advent and Lent. The Agnus Dei is sung during communion before the motet. Should the Benedictus be particularly long (e.g. in one of the Viennese Masses) it may be sung in between the Agnus Dei and the communion motet. 13
Psalms for Sunday mornings are sung to Anglican Chant or Plainsong, with no Gloria at the end. The Alleluia and Gospel Responses immediately follow the second hymn, and a copy is enclosed on page 15. A cantor should be appointed to sing the Gospel sentence. Following the second Gospel Response, the organist should improvise for no longer than 30 seconds, reflecting the theme of the reading. After a reasonable time for the Peace, the conductor should signal for the organist to begin the Offertory Hymn. The organist should be prepared to improvise after the Offertory Hymn to cover movement at the altar platform. The organist is welcome to join the choir for communion. As soon as the organ voluntary begins, the choirs should begin to process out, following the same route as before. There will be a dismissal from a member of clergy in the Chapter House. 14
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Ferial Gospel Responses 16