Page 18 - LOTN Issue 45

LITURGY

bit of work synchronising the voices. They can also mute
wrong notes, coughs, rustling papers etc., and they can
add special effects such as reverb, which help give a true
cathedral effect. They can change the speed, balance the
different voices, and the finished product is far more than
the sum of the parts. My fear is that when we return to live
performance we may be found wanting!
The finished recordings are sent to the cathedral sound
team, who play them at the appropriate places in the Mass.
Recordings could equally well be played from a laptop or
tablet or even a smartphone linked to the church’s sound
system. They provide a personal touch which commercial
CDs can’t match, and they enable our choir to continue to
feel involved and connected with each other. We even have
a couple of former members, one now in Birmingham, one
in India, who take part in recordings. Not all choir members
take part. Some are too busy or don’t have the right
equipment. This is fine; they know that the choir still exists
and will be there when they are ready to return.
Our Gospel choir and children’s choir also make
recordings, and one of the children will be sending in a
recording from Brunei for All Saints on November 1st. When
I asked John Horton, their director, for his thoughts he told
me that he sees this as a way for his young singers to feel
that they are still a part of the active church ministry during
lockdown. It is a way of keeping everyone connected, with
each other and with God’s family.
There is no end of the present restrictions in sight, so if
anyone would like to join in our online recordings please
do get in touch. We can also provide further advice if you
would like to do something similar in your own parish.
If you already are, it would be great to hear how you are
getting on; we are all in this together!

You can get in touch with Shelagh at:
Stairway to Heaven! music@cathedral-abdn.org

Below is the completed recording of the eucharistic
hymn, O Esca Viatorum which was the first in a series
of hymns performed and recorded by the St Mary's
Cathedral Choir. Sean Hayes, who leads our sound
team, added the video: The next issue of the Light of
the North will be published in

the autumn. If you would like
to sponsor the next issue or a
page of the issue, perhaps in
memory of a loved one or to
celebrate a special occasion,

please email:
editor.lightofthenorth@rcd-
abdn.org

O Esca Viatorum

Page 18