Open Your Mouth...& Sing!

Okay! – No hesitation in putting my hands up straight away folks…this fantastic photo taken inside Chichester Cathedral was not (unsurprisingly) taken by me!! – How did you guess I wonder?! .. In any case, methinks you've have sussed my photography skills very quickly.
Full credit for this little beauty goes to Steve Gold. Whilst searching for an unusual photo of Chichester Cathedral, this little treasure (gold/treasure..get it?!) popped up and I just had to write and ask if I could use it…not only did he say that I could use it but also informed me that this was 'the' photo that appeared on the front cover of the carol service programme from last year …so I reckon that must have been a good choice! …More of the talented Steve later…
What a fantastic feeling it is to just open your mouth and sing?! I appreciate my family may say I open my mouth a little too often anyway and a lot of rubbish comes out of it, but do you know I had quite forgotten just how good it feels. Having now belted out some fabulous traditional carols at Chichester Cathedral, I can now say, at last, I am ready for Christmas. As some of you know my family and I went to Chichester Cathedral on Saturday night for the BBC Southern Counties Radio Carol Service.
We almost had second thoughts when setting off in the terrible storms that lashed the south coast at the weekend, but so glad we did, it was a real treat to feel a part of the congregation amongst such history.
There’s something about collective worship in a place that is so old that touches me– Chichester Cathedral is celebrating its 900th Anniversary this year. The choirboys (why oh why were neither of my three boys choirboys?.. an inheritance of their mother's singing ability I suspect) from the Cathedral School almost looked like a scene from traditional Christmas card as they sang out the well known carols. The Christmas tree was simply decorated in some tasteful twinkly lights, which gave a lovely glow to the stonework.
The carol service was recorded by the BBC SCR to be aired on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We must have all been in fairly good tune, as there weren’t too many retakes at the end!
With a lovely meal to round off the day, we all seemed to agree that Christmas 2008 has arrived!
Back to Steve Gold - my ‘catch of the day’.. Steve comments on the above photo ‘Chichester Cathedral Light’ (which incidentally won Mayor’s Choice at the 11th Didcot Arts Festival/runner up at the Woodstock Photography Exhibition), he says; ‘a favourite of mine, capturing how the light from the stained glass windows falls on to the floor, and how the dappled rainbow of colours contrasts with the grey of the stone’.
…I bow down now to the talent of Mr Gold! – To see more of Steve’s work go to http://www.stevegold.co.uk/ - a talented chap for sure.
And don’t forget if you want to listen to the BBC Carol Service from Chichester Cathedral – it is to be aired on Christmas Eve at 5pm and again on Christmas Day morning. -Online too for those of you too far away..http://www.bbc.co.uk/southerncounties/
Go on girls...open your mouths and sing...it feels good!
Love Molly x