A King’s Christmas at Lunenburg

On Friday night Jeff and I attended the King’s Christmas concert at St John’s Church in Lunenburg. Last year we were at the Concert of 100 Candles. The setting of St John’s Anglican Church is just magnificent and makes any concert a delight.

The  Chapel Choir of the University of King’s College in Halifax comprises of 20 choristers selected through annual auditions.  They entered the concert from behind us and sang Angelus Ad Virginem as they walked down the aisle.

The carols were interspersed with readings and poems.

A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas is one of my favourites and Christmas is never Christmas without listening to it.

Suzie LeBlanc, the renowned Canadian soprano, entertained us with some solos.

Then an amusing reading of The Twelve Days of Christmas, A Correspondence, by John Julius Norwich.  A different slant on the old Twelve Days of Christmas we all know.

25th December

My dearest darling
That partridge, in that lovely little pear tree! What an enchanting, romantic, poetic present!

Bless you and thank you.

Your deeply loving Emily

26th December

Mr dearest darling Edward
The two turtle doves arrived this morning and are cooing
away in the pear tree as I write.

I’m so touched and grateful.
With undying love, as always, Emily

27th December

My darling Edward

You do thinks of the most original presents:

whoever thought of sending anybody three French hens?

Do they really come all the way from France?

It’s a pity that we have no chicken coops, but I expect we’ll find some.

Thank you, anyway, they’re lovely.
Your loving Emily

28th December

Dearest Edward

What a surprise – four calling birds arrived this morning.
They are very sweet, even if they do call rather loudly –
they make telephoning impossible. BUT I expect they’ll calm
down when they get used to their new home.

Anyway, I’m very grateful – of course I am.
Love from Emily

29th December

Dearest Edward

The postman has just delivered five most beautiful gold
rings, one for each finger, and all fitting perfectly.

A really lovely present – lovelier in a way than birds, which do
take rather a lot of looking after.

The four that arrived yesterday are still making a terrible row, and I’m afraid
none of use got much sleep last night.

Mummy says she wants us to use the rings to ‘wring’ their necks – she’s only
joking, I think; though I know what she means. But I love the rings.

Bless you Love, Emily

30th December

Dear Edward

Whatever I expected to find when I opened the front door
this morning, it certainly wasn’t six socking great geese
laying eggs all over the doorstep.

Frankly, I rather hoped you had stopped sending me birds – we have no room for them
and they have already ruined the croquet lawn.

I know you meant well, but – let’s call a halt, shall we?
Love, Emily

31st December

Edward

I thought I said no more birds; but this morning I woke up
to find no less than seven swans all trying to get into our
tiny goldfish pond.

I’d rather not think what happened to the goldfish.

The whole house seems to be full of birds – to
say nothing of what they leave behind them.

Please, please STOP
Your Emily

1st January

Frankly, I think I prefer the birds.

What am I to do with eight milkmaids – AND their cows?

Is this some kind of a joke? If so, I’m afraid I don’t find it very amusing.
Emily

2nd January

Look here Edward, this has gone far enough. You say you’re
sending me nine ladies dancing; all I can say is that judging
from the way they dance, they’re certainly not ladies.

The village just isn’t accustomed to seeing a regiment of
shameless hussies with nothing on but their lipstick
cavorting round the green – and it’s Mummy and I who get
blamed.

If you value our friendship – which I do less and
less – kindly stop this ridiculous behaviour at once.

Emily

3rd January

As I write this letter, ten disgusting old men are
prancing abour all over what used to be the garden -before
the geese and the swans and the cows got at it; and several
of them, I notice, are taking inexcusable liberties with the
milkmaids.

Meanwhile the neighbours are trying to have us
evicted.

I shall never speak to you again.
Emily

4th January

This is the last straw. You know I detest bagpipes.

The place has now become something between a menagerie and a
madhouse and a man from the Council has just declared it
unfit for habitation.

At least Mummy has been spared this last outrage; they took her away yesterday afternoon in an
ambulance.

I hope you’re satisfied.

5th January

Sir
Our client, Miss Emily Wilbraham, instructs me to inform
you that with the arrival on her premises a half-past seven
this morning of the entire percussion section of the
Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and several of their friends
she has no course left open to her but to seek an injunction
to prevent your importuning her further.

I am making arrangements for the return of much assorted livestock.

I am, Sir, Yours faithfully,
G.CREEP
Solicitor-at-law

This was another top class concert held in our little town of Lunenburg. We are so lucky to have such wonderful facilities and entertainment.

We look forward to the next concert at St John’s.

Concert of 100 Candles

Last night we went to our second concert at St John’s Anglican Church since coming to Lunenburg.

The last one was an excellent Baroque Concert with the Symphony Nova Scotia playing Vivaldi, Albinoni, Handel and Bach. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening and thought we were truly lucky, not just to listen to such a fine performance but to sit in the spectacular setting of this very fine Church in Lunenburg.

My photo of St. John’s

In 2001, a catastrophe hit this beautiful church, when it was destroyed by fire on Halloween. A Restoration Committee was set up and amazingly the church has now been restored to its original glory.

Last night’s performance was by the Sanctuary Trio, with Peter Togni on the pipe organ, Jeff Reilly playing the bass clarinet, Christoph Both on the cello and the Peter Togni Singers. They played some music that was recognizable, such as ‘Once in Royal David’s City’, but many pieces were Sanctuary’s own compositions.

Jeff Reilly’s playing was haunting in this setting, Christoph Both used the bow and his fingers to produce sounds I’ve never heard on a cello and Peter Togni is a master of the pipe organ.

I am no music student but this was an amazing experience. I see that the Sanctuary Trio have produced CD’s, so I might treat myself for Christmas.

We look forward to the next concert with Sanctuary.