A day to remember: 6th October 2009
In June 2009, I received the very exciting news that I was a winner of the HMC Young Composer competition, and that my anthem, This Lowly Ground, would be premièred at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral on 6th October 2009. I was invited to attend this performance, and I travelled up with my mother the night before, so we could make a day out of the whole experience.
We began the morning by walking in the driving rain (the heaviest rain that I saw in 2009, easily) to St James’ Station where we were supposed to be meeting a family friend. However, all the trains from Hoylake were cancelled (the best laid plans go awry!), so we ended up having breakfast in a nearby Pret a Manger. We then got a taxi to the Cathedral (due to the terrible weather), before looking around Britain’s most modern and biggest cathedral. The taxi driver also delivered Beatles tours and when he discovered why I was in Liverpool, he told me various interesting facts about the cathedral. For example, Paul McCartney has had a classical work premièred there, and a large amount of the Cathedral’s stone came from a quarry behind John Lennon’s house. (Yes, all his facts were Beatles-related…)
After our look-around, it was time to meet the Organist Titulaire, Professor Ian Tracey. My mother wrote to Professor Tracey (without my consent!!) in the summer to ask if it was possible for him to show me the organ. He very kindly agreed to do this, so he told me about Britain’s biggest organ, showed me round it, and even allowed me to play a piece or two on it. I am incredibly grateful to Professor Tracey for allowing me to do this, and it really enhanced my day. By this time, our family friend had made her own way to the Cathedral by car, and we all had lunch at the Cathedral with another friend who is currently studying at Liverpool University.
Immediately after this, I could hear the rehearsal for the afternoon’s service beginning. Singing the service were St Albans School Choir and King Edward’s College Choir from Liverpool. Mr Mick Stout from St Albans was conducting the service, with Professor Tracey playing the organ. The rehearsal sounded very impressive and the massed choir were doing incredibly well to sing together for the first time in the massive Cathedral acoustic. I met the other winner of the competition, James Day, and we both did interviews for local television news. I then bumped into my headmaster, Mr Galbraith and it was soon time for the service.
This service, the centrepiece of the 2009 Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference, was attended by headteachers from all of the HMC schools. There were several hymns, readings and a sermon from the former Bishop of St Albans. James’ excellent introit, The Church Porch, began the service, and my anthem came after the second reading. A recording of its performance can be heard on the Lowly Ground page of this website. The service was a resounding success, and the performance of Vaughan Williams’ The Old Hundredth Psalm Tune (All people that on Earth do dwell) sent shivers up my spine with some truly excellent trumpet playing, as did the closing performance of John Rutter’s The Lord Bless You and Keep You.
I would personally like to thank the HMC for this incredible opportunity, Mr Stout, Professor Tracey and all the singers for giving such an excellent performance, and all those at the Cathedral. It was an incredible experience, one that I will never forget. Thank you all.