ST GEORGE’S SINGERS NEWSLETTER Issue 21, APRIL 2005

Another action packed edition of

Hemiola! Now on the website in full colour in PDF format

Looking ahead to the forthcoming East Anglian Choir Tour at the end of May we have several interesting articles about the area.

In particular watch out for The Black Dog!!

Also on Saturday there were two Manchester Sings! fascinating talks: first a composer’s As we know, the Grechaninov workshop with Sasha Johnson- Vespers at the Church of the Holy The first Manchester Manning and Martin Bussey, with Name on Friday evening was very Choral Festival was held musical illustrations sung by Ad well supported and extremely well Solem (conductor Marcus received. So also was Manchester th over the weekend of 11 - Farnsworth), then a talk about choral University Chorus’s performance of th 13 March 2005 in by Kari Turunen, Britten’s ‘Paul Bunyan’ on Saturday who flew over from specially night. The highlight of this concert, It consisted of three main concerts to speak at the festival. It was quite for me at least, was Marcus in a on each of the three evenings and inspiring to hear at first hand about stetson singing the role of the seven ‘promenade’ events during the exciting and vibrant choral music Narrator (a natural cowboy). The the daytime. The promenade events scene in Finland. final concert of the festival was Bach’s St. John Passion, performed comprised a fascinating mix of talks, On Sunday a Festival Eucharist at open rehearsals and concerts. by Manchester Baroque - a new Manchester Cathedral was followed choir though with lots of familiar There were concerts by Chetham’s in the afternoon by an open faces. Everyone in the audience will School of Music Chamber Choir rehearsal by the Manchester Boys remember this performance for a (Friday lunchtime) and a joint Choir, conducted by Jeff Wynne long time, especially for Josh concert by Altrincham Grammar Davies. Jeff took the choir through Ellicott’s interpretation of the role of School for Boys Barbershop group its paces and they sang, among Evangelist and for Sasha Johnson-

other things, parts of a new work by Manning’s incredibly moving and Culcheth High School Vocal Bob Chilcott that they are learning Group (Saturday). The Chetham’s rendition of the aria ‘Zerfliesse, mein choir sang a programme of ‘English for a choral festival in Wales this herze’. Masterworks’, including a terrific summer. rendition of Finzi’s ‘Lo: The Full Final Many thanks to those members of Sacrifice’. The two school Attendance at these promenade St. George’s who supported the were equally impressive. They sang events was rather disappointing, festival. To those who didn’t, you mainly a mix of folk songs and especially given the very high missed some terrific musical popular songs, with Culceth also musical standard of the events and experiences. performing some sacred pieces, performers. On the other hand, including ‘Lift thine eyes’ from Elijah. attendances at the main concerts of Dave Francis A very appreciative audience gave a the festival were impressive. resounding response to both choirs.

CHOIR WEBSITE www.st-georges-singers.org.uk editor Richard Taylor (Bass), email - [email protected]

1 The East Anglian Tour

“Silly Suffolk” is not only totally unjustified, it’s also plain wrong. The epithet derives from the old English description “selig” or holy, Suffolk, so named because of the number of early saints in the county. Since the Middle Ages it could well have been thought holy because of the number of churches – and what churches! Built by super rich wool merchants they are huge, graceful, and imbued with an atmosphere that not even the statue wrecking puritans were able to abolish. We are performing in two of the best known and most beautiful, as well as in one of the country’s most magnificent cathedrals. You can get loads of information about these churches from the internet. The area which we are touring has an understated beauty, and has been astonishingly ignored by developers and holiday crowds. It has many Britten connections , of course, since this son of a Lowestoft dentist lived there with Peter Pears for over thirty years. The coach will leave Poynton Civic Centre at 5 p.m. prompt. We have a long journey on the Friday evening of a Bank Holiday Weekend. Our tour hotel, the Holiday Inn, Ipswich, where we will be staying for all three nights of the tour this time, will have our supper ready when we arrive. The hotel has a swimming pool , so bring your cozzies, although the only time available for swimming will be before breakfast. On Saturday morning we travel via the dramatic bridge over the stupendous Orwell estuary through the flatlands of Suffolk to Snape Maltings, home of the Aldeburgh Festival founded by Britten and Pears. You may see old sailing barges on the adjacent River Alde, and we hope to arrange a tour of the concert hall, where we might just break into an impromptu Locus Iste. If not, there is a coffee shop and many antique boutiques, but we cannot stay long as we need to reach the quaint and pretty seaside town of Aldeburgh in time for you to walk along the prom admiring the sea front villas, the lifeboat station, and the 15th Century Moot Hall, once in the centre of the town and now nearly in the sea. You should also form an opinion about the Britten Memorial on the beach. Find a restaurant or pub early for lunch. (I shall probably join the queue at the best fish and chip shop in the world.) We spend the afternoon rehearsing in the church of St Peter and St Paul where Britten and Pears are buried, and scene of one of the acts of the opera Peter Grimes. Please do enough homework to make sure that your part is secure, particularly in St Nicholas , as Stephen will have very little time to rehearse an orchestra of mainly local players we have never met before, not to mention pickled boys! The grateful church will give us tea and biscuits before the concert. In the first half we will be singing Locus Iste (of course!), Zadok the Priest, O Quam Gloriosum, and Beatus Vir. There will also be some organ solos by Jeff Makinson, and some pieces from our soloists. The second half will, of course, be a sparkling performance of St Nicholas. Our President, Joan Bakewell, will be joining us for this concert. After Elijah she referred in her column in The Guardian to “the golden voices of St George’s Singers”, so we have a lot to live up to! After the concert a buffet supper has been arranged in the church hall (drinks also available!), then back to Ipswich. On Sunday morning we travel a little further north to the “time warp” seaside resort of Southwold, home of the famous Adnam’s brewery, the inland lighthouse, astonishingly expensive seafront chalets, and plenty of pubs and restaurants providing lunch. After lunch the coach will take us to the impressive Holy Trinity, Blythburgh for our rehearsal and concert. Many of Britten’s church operas received their first performances in this magnificent church. Some time ago when the Snape Maltings burnt down immediately before the Aldeburgh Festival, many of the concerts were held in Blythburgh. Supper after the concert will be provided in the Village Hall. On Monday morning we start our journey home, stopping off at Lincoln for lunch, rehearsal and Choral Evensong at 5:15 pm at the wonderful cathedral, accompanied by Jeff Makinson who was assistant organist there before coming to Manchester. We hope to sing O Quam Gloriosum as an introit, and Zadok the Priest as the anthem. The responses will be those of Smith which we sang in Hereford, and the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis Dyson in D, which we’ve already started to learn. We do not wear concert dress for cathedral services. Men should wear a suit (preferably dark), a shirt (preferably white), and a tie (preferably sober). I would not presume to tell the women what to wear. After Evensong we return to Poynton, where we should arrive by 9 pm, Bank Holiday traffic permitting, tired but hopefully happy with a job well done, knowing each other better, and with shared memories to cherish. If you didn’t book a place on the tour, but would now like to join us, please see me as soon as possible, as I may be able to squeeze you in. Geoff Taylor

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The Black Dog’s visits to Bungay and Blythburgh http://www.shuckland.co.uk/blythburgh.htm shows the following extracts of a contemporary

account 'A Straunge and terrible Wunder...' by Abraham Fleming (London, 1577):

[During "an exceeding great and terrible tempest" on August 4th, 1577]: "There were assembled

at the same season, to hear divine service and common prayer...in the parish church...of Bongay [Bungay], the people therabouts inhabiting...Immediately hereupon, there appeared in a most horrible similitude and likenesse to the congregation then and there present, a dog as they might

discerne it, of a black colour...This black dog, or the divel in such a likenesse...runing all along down the body of the church with great swiftnesse, and incredible haste, among the people, in a

visible fourm and shape, passed between two persons, as they were kneeling upon their knees...wrung the necks of them bothe at one instant clene backward, in so much that even at a moment where they kneeled, they strangely dyed...

"...the same black dog, stil continuing and remaining in one and the self same shape, passing by

another man of the congregation in the church, gave him such a gripe on the back, that therwith all he was presently drawen togither and shrunk up, as it were a peece of lether scorched in a hot fire; or as the mouth of a purse or bag, drawen togither with a string. The man, albeit hee

was in so straunge a taking, dyed not, but as it is thought is yet alive...

"...The Clark of the said Church being occupied in cleansing of the gutter of the church, with a violent clap of thunder was smitten downe, and beside his fall had no further harme...there are remaining in the stones of the Church, and likewise in the Church dore which are mervelously renten and torne, ye marks as it were of his clawes or talans. Beside, that all the wires, the wheels, and other things belonging to the Church, were wrung in sunder, and broken in peces...These things are reported to be true..." The storm (and dog) then fled off to Blythburgh. "On the self same day, in like manner, into the parish church of another towne called Blibery [Blythburgh]...the like thing entred, in the same shape and similitude, where placing himself uppon a maine balke or beam, wheron some ye Rood did stand, sodainly he gave a swinge downe through ye church, and there also, as before, slew two men and a lad, and burned the hand of another person that was there among the rest of the company, of whom divers were blasted. This mischief thus wrought, he flew with wonderful force to no little feare of the assembly, out of the church in a hideous and hellish likenes."

According to a leaflet written by Christopher Reeve which is available from the Parish Church of St. Mary in Bungay, this account of the black dog’s visit was written soon after the event. It was written by a clergyman called Abraham Fleming and was published in a pamphlet entitled ‘A Straunge and Terrible Wunder wrought very late in the parish Church of Bungay.’ However, Fleming lived in London and it is suspected that he might not have ever visited Bungay (Reeve, 1988).

Other records of events at the Bungay and Blythburgh churches corroborate some aspects of Fleming's account, e.g., the terrible thunderstorm, but they do not mention a dog (see Holinshed’s Chronicle, 1577; the St. Mary’s Churchwardens’ Account books, 1579).

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Can you solve the following anagrams Prize for Caption Competition Issue 20 to Debra Sallaway of church music composers. All the composers lived between 1500 and the

present day and are arranged in Stephen to Willard: chronological order. All the answers include one Christian name and the surname. "Now listen 'ere mate.."

1 Thy Terpsichore. 2 Sam Sloth Tail. 3 I’m drab Willy.

4 O adorning blobs! 5 Hell Percy, run! 6 Mice agree – run! 7 Iambic yellow.

8 Weasely mules. 9 Joiner shan’t. 10 Breathy purr. 11 Laos cowherd.

12 Burliest tone. 13 Draw five loads. 14 Bastard widower. 15 O greedy song!

16 Hear odd lark. 17 Brush miner’s toe. 18 Field razing. 19 Jonah’s nerds.

20 Not heaven J.R.

An elderly woman called 999 on her cell phone to

report that her car has been broken into. She is hysterical as she explains her situation to the dispatcher. "They've stolen the stereo, the steering wheel, the

brake pedal and even the accelerator!" She cried. The dispatcher said, "Stay calm Ma'am, an officer is on the way. A few minutes later, me officer radios in. "Disregard."

He says, "She got in the back seat by mistake.'"

Two elderly ladies had been friends for many decades. Over the years they had shared all kinds of activities

and adventures. Lately, their activities had been limited to meeting a few times a week to play cards. One day they were playing cards when the one

looked at the other and said, "Now don't get mad at me.. . 1 know we've been friends for a long time but I just can't think of your name! I've thought and thought but I can't remember it.

Please tell me what your name is, Her friend glared at her. For at least three minutes she just stared and glared at her.

Finally she said, "How soon do you need to know?" the angels bring a gift to the altos Courtesy Mark Lonsborough

4 ****B * I * T * S * & B * O* B * S ***

Typoglycaemia – from Cliff

This looks weird – but believe it or not you can read it :- Anyone interested in attending a "natural I cdnuolt bvleiee that I cluod aulactly uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. voice camp" on 6-14th August? I've The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid! Aoccdrnig to a never been to one but it looks great: a rscheearch taem at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht week's camping on an organic farm in oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tnihg is taht the frist Dorset with workshops on all sorts of and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and styles of singing and music - pop, blues, you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn gospel, Indian raga, tribal and many mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. more. Scuh a cdoniiton is arppoiarpelty cllaed Typoglycaemia. Amzanig! And you awlyas touhhgt slpeling was ipmorantt. See

http://www.unicorncamps.com/voice.htm

Joanne Morrison, ex-alto who went to live in for details. Scotland with her husband John a few years ago, has given birth to a second child Hannah rose (a NB last year's sold out in April! brother for Joshua) in September 2004. the baby

was 11 weeks premature and only weighed 2lb 10z Jenny and has spent quite a bit of time in hospital, but is now doing really well. If you want to contact Joanne, ask Lynn Knowling.

CD Sale

Autumn term’s CD sale raised £200 for the Elijah fund. This was found amongst the jottings of a deranged singer who was taken away to secure Many thanks to all those who donated or bought accommodation after 6 carol concerts in 4 days. Sadly, the music - which reputedly reflects the C.D’s. idiom of each item - was never found.

Cheers Anne and Cliff Windsor Susan H

THE TWELVE BARS OF CHRISTMAS

In the twelve bars of Christmas, PLEA FORE GOLFERS our conductor made us sing:

There is still room on the tee for more golfers on 12 fugues by Handel the Suffolk tour! The 11 English folk songs Golf Society will be playing rounds on three 10 Stanford anthems 9 Purcell operas courses during our tour, and 8 Requiems would be delighted to welcome more players. If 7 chords by Schnittke anyone has a non-singing 6 Haydn masses partner who would be interested in coming on 5 Bach cantatas tour and playing golf, 4 Estonian lullabies please 3 French chansons contact Susan Hodgson (alto). 2 madrigals and another flipping John Rutter carol!

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Blythburgh Church courtesy SimonKnott.co.uk

TTTHHHEEE TTTAAALLLEEE OOOFFF TTTHHHEEE BBBLLLAAACCCKKK SSSHHHUUUCCCKKK OOOFFF EEEAAASSSTTT than likely signifies a snarling, red-eyed hound AAANNNGGGLLLIIIAAA from Hell or ‘Black Shuck’ as recorded in this old Norfolk saying;

And a dreadful thing from the cliff did spring, and it’s wild bark thrill’d around, His eyes had the glow of the fire below, ‘twas the form of the spectre hound.

For centuries this fearsome reputation has brought terror to any man, woman or child who has spied a large, black dog wandering along the lonely country roads or shoreline.

In the 1890’s. a teenage boy rescued from the The weather vane at Bungay North Sea told how he had been forced to swim further and further from the shore by a huge Sightings of large, black creatures wandering dog that chased him through the waters, its the East Anglian countryside today are often put teeth gnashing at his neck and shoulders. In down to wild pumas - but in years gone by they the 1920s and 30s, fishermen off Sheringham could have signalled the appearance of a far told of hearing the hound’s howling on stormy more sinister visitor: the Black Shuck! nights. And as recently as the 1970s, he was reported to have been seen pounding over the Ghost hunters long to track down a spectre, but beach at Yarmouth. there is one spooky image they hope never to come face-to-face with. Black Shuck, the hell But his regular hunting ground was along the hound reputed to roam the East Anglian North Norfolk coast where he was said to make coastline, is said to bring death within the year his terrifying dash from Runton to Overstrand. to anyone who dares look into his flaming eyes. The conversation in the public houses of Cromer, often turned to tales of the Shuck, and the town The Black Dog is a name often given to public was said to be at the very heart of his home houses - conjuring up images of a faithful hound ground. at his master’s side. However the name more

6 Yet the Shuck is not confined to Norfolk. And black hound, which roamed the north Norfolk once, on a stormy summer day in 1577, he made coast. a fateful trip across the border into Suffolk. On Sunday August 4th, 1577 in Bungay he tore Local superstition has it that the tracks of a through the congregation of St. Mary’s Church demon hound run through Mill Lane past the old during a service. The fiery dog killed two and Links Hotel and over the hill into the grounds of left another injured, shrivelled "like a drawn Cromer hall, a large Gothic pile complete with purse". gargoyles, angled roofs, tall chimneys and heavily-mullioned windows - all draped in ivy. As the shocked townsfolk reeled from the tragedy, news came that not long after, the Shuck had struck just a few miles away in Blythburgh where he had again attacked the church congregation. A man and a boy were killed there and others left scorched and hysterical as the church spire crashed through the roof, breaking the font while the tower bells tumbled down.

As the dreadful dog flew from the church, he is said to have left deep scorch marks on the door. The legend continued for centuries even though The Gothic there were no signs on the original door. The Cromer Hall 1933 the door was cleaned and burn marks - some say they were the Devil’s own fingerprints Doyle was also acquainted with Lord Cromer and - were there for all to see. They remain there was a regular visitor to Cromer Hall. It is said today. that the coachman who took him there went by the name of "Baskerville". Small wonder that The gruesome tales of the Shuck are thought to little time passed before Doyle penned his have been the inspiration for another beastly classic mystery The Hound of the Baskervilles. creation, The Hound of the Baskervilles. In Unfortunately for Norfolk’s literary fame, Doyle 1901, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had just returned relocated the devil dog’s hunting ground to from a stint as a field doctor during the Boer Dartmoor! War where he had contracted Enteric fever. He decided to recuperate in Norfolk by taking a The Black Dog may just be superstition, but if golfing holiday with a journalist friend, Bertram you ever hear a blood chilling howl on a dark Fletcher Robinson. winter’s evening, be sure to avert your gaze and lock your doors. They stayed in Cromer at the Royal Links Hotel and it was in the private sitting room that Robinson recounted the local tales of a hideous

In the leaflet referred to on Page 2, Reeve describes how the Black Dog has nowadays become “a rather endearing symbol of the town.” and appears on the town’s coat of arms and on the gate of the local museum (see above). Its name has also been associated with a local shop, a football team, a running club and the annual marathon. Alas the famous Black Dog weathervane was no longer there when I visited (January 2001), although the base with a memorial plaque is still there. A new weathervane has now been erected on top of the streetlight next to it though.

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Below is a list of the music we will be singing on tour. Soloists are to be confirmed but we are hoping to be singing with Amy Wood, Rebecca Anderson, Mike Bennett and the lovely Marcus Farnsworth.

We must be the luckiest choristers in the North West. Is East Anglia ready for us??

Saturday May 28 - Sunday May 29 - Monday 30 –

Aldeburgh Blythburgh Lincoln

1. Zadok - Handel 1. Zadok - Handel Introit ? - O Quam Gloriosum 2. Locus iste - Bruckner 2. Locus iste - Bruckner Responses - Smith 3. O Quam Gloriosum - Victoria 3. O Quam Gloriosum - Victoria Psalm 150 - Stanford

4. Monteverdi - Beatus Vir 4. Monteverdi - Beatus Vir (with Mag and Nunc - Dyson in D organ) 5. Solos Organ Anthem - Zadok

6. Solos Marcus ?/Mike Bennett 5. Solos Organ Hymn ?

6. Solos Marcus ?/Mike Bennett INTERVAL INTERVAL 7. Britten - Saint Nicolas 7. Mozart - Requiem

The Pub Walking Group The pub walking group continues to organise walks on a monthly basis. Aptly named because no

walk is complete without a visit to the pub and lunch!

EVERYBODY is welcome. Please ask Jenny or me for details. The details are circulated by email but this does not exclude those without cyber communication in place. I attach a photo of February’s

walk to show just what a motley crew showed up that month.

Turn to the back page to see the other half of the story.

The Golden Jubilee Dinner Dance One of the suggestions made of ways in which to celebrate our Golden Jubilee next season was to hold a Dinner Dance. Black tie should not be a problem for the men! Your committee thought this was a great idea, and Jo Bluck volunteered to arrange it. This is a preliminary notice that the dinner dance will be held on Saturday 21st January 2006 and the venue will be The

Deanwater Hotel, Woodford. The dance bit will be a ceilidh, which we felt provided more opportunity for everyone to join in the fun. Jo is working to keep the ticket price at around £30. More details later, but book the date in your 2006 planner NOW.

Our last walk on April 3 was a wonderful walk around Rudyard Reservoir with the added bonus of Blavod – my 4 month old black Labrador who after a three hour walk was very happy to collapse in the car while we lunched. ELVIRA

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PAUL BUNYAN, AN six men with picaroons to pick the AMERICAN LEGEND wire out of his teeth. Paul's logging crew was made up Paul Bunyan, the mythical king of Babe hauled the huge camp tank of giants too, but none as big nor lumberjacks, lives on in Bemidji! wagon which was used to pave as strong as the "King of the

the winter logging roads with ice. Lumberjacks". Never the less, The greatest outdoorsman who When it sprang a leak one day, it his loggers were all over six feet ever lived was Paul Bunyan and created Lake Itasca south of sitting down and they sharpened the tall stories invented by Bemidji and the overflow trickled their axes by holding them fisherman and hunters to this day down to New Orleans to form the against huge stones rolling down can never equal the 'truth' to Mississippi River. And since a hill. Paul's exploits in the north Babe refused to haul logs unless woods. there was snow on the ground, That brings us to the time when it

Paul had to whitewash the roads was so cold in Bemidji, it was This legendary superman and in the summer called the 'Year of Two Winters'. woodsman, hero of the early The snow was so deep, Paul had logging days, was born in Babe had many jobs around the to dig down to find the trees. It Bemidji, Minnesota. The actual logging camp where the got so cold, the boiling coffee site of his birth is marked today laundryman hung out the wash froze so fast it was still hot when by giant statues of both Paul on Babe's horns. But perhaps frozen. Bunyan and his Blue Ox, Babe, Babe's biggest job was pulling standing on the shoreline of Lake the kinks out of crooked logging The loggers let their beards grow Bemidji. roads. full length that year and soon had

to tuck them in their boots to Old-time loggers recall the Paul and Babe were a good keep from tripping. In the spring, excitement of Paul's birth when it team, no feat of strength or Paul cut the beards with a large took five giant storks, working in courage was beyond them. No scythe, stacked them like hay relays, to deliver Paul to his obstacles ever stumped them. and sold them for making parents. And what a baby Paul Paul could cut down acres of mattresses. was; his lungs were so strong timber single-handedly in just a that he could empty a whole pond few minutes by tying his huge ax During the 'Year of Two Winters', full of frogs with one holler when to the end of a long rope and it was so cold at the camp on he was hungry. It took a whole swinging it in circles. Babe could Lake Bemidji, words froze in mid- herd of cows to keep his milk haul the logs away as fast as air. When the words thawed out bottle filled and he could eat forty Paul could cut them. in the spring, there was a huge bowls of porridge just to whet his Paul's booming voice forced his roar of conversation heard 600 appetite. lumberjacks to wear earmuffs the miles away in Chicago.

year round. His lung power was Paul cut his teeth on a peavy so great, he called his logging That was the year, too, when all pole and grew so fast that one crews together by whistling the fish went south for the winter. week after being born, he had to through a hollow tree. Once, he Paul Bunyan then crossed the wear his father's clothes. A blew too hard and blew down 12 Walleyes and Northern Pike with lumber wagon, drawn by a team acres of jack pine. Every time bobcats and ever since, the fish of oxen, was Paul's baby carriage Paul sneezed, he blew the roof in Bemidji grow fur coats in the and by the time Paul was one off the bunkhouse. winter. To this day, the skin from year old, his clothing was so one fur-bearing fish is enough to large he had to use the wagon make a full-length coat. wheels for buttons. Only the Paul's camp crew is great outdoors was big enough to deserving of mention. There was accommodate Paul, and it was Sourdough Sam, the camp cook, natural that he should become for instance. He made flapjacks the World's Greatest Lumberjack. on a griddle so big it had to be

greased by skaters with slabs of

bacon tied to their feet. Once, In the year of the 'Blue Snow' when a load of pork and beans, when it was so cold the geese pulled by a team of oxen, went flew backward, Paul found a through the ice of Lake Bemidji, baby ox in the snow. It was so Sam had huge fires built along cold, the ox and snow was blue. the shore and boiled the lake to After Paul took him home and make soup. All that winter, he warmed him, his color stayed fed the loggers bean soup with blue. Paul named him Babe. an ox-tail flavor. Like Paul, Babe grew fast and soon was seven ax handles and Johnny Inkslinger, the camp a plug of tobacco wide between bookkeeper, invented the the eyes. For a between meals fountain pen by running a hose snack, Babe would eat thirty from a barrel of ink to his pen. bales of hay, wire and all. It took

9 He saved five barrels of ink one take a huge gulp from the waters which Paul beat the stumps into summer by not dotting his "i's" or of the Mississippi River to reverse the ground. This is why there are crossing his "t's". the current. so few trees today in the Finally, there was Sport-the- Dakotas. When Babe died, he Big Ole, the camp blacksmith, Reversible dog. One of the was buried in South Dakota, his was the only man besides Paul loggers accidentally cut this camp burial mound forming what is now who was strong enough to make pet in two with an ax. In his known as the Black Hills. shoes for Babe, the Blue Ox. In haste to sew him up, the logger his spare time, Big Ole was kept stitched Sport's hindquarters on But Paul Bunyan, the King of the busy punching holes in upside down. This didn't hinder Lumberjacks, lives on. Each year doughnuts so big, two men could Sport who ran on his front legs he returns to Bemidji to fish and carry only three of them on a long until they were tired, then he play in the hundreds of lakes in pole. flipped over and ran on his back his birthplace. For those who legs. Sport's diet consisted miss his annual visit, a huge There was Shot Gunderson, the mainly of door-to-door salesmen statue of Paul, 18 feet tall giant camp foreman, who once and Internal Revenue agents who weighing 2 1/2 tons, stands on dropped logs into a lake without visited the camp. the shore of beautiful Lake an outlet and had to empty the Paul wandered far from Bemidji Bemidji. Next to Paul, stands a tank wagon to float the logs at times and when his crew statue of Babe, the Blue Ox, all overland to New Orleans. And logged off North and South five tons of the mightiest Ox that Chris Crosshaul, the straw boss, Dakota, there was the problem of ever lived! who once sent the wrong logs to what to do with the stumps. Paul New Orleans. Paul brought them solved the problem by having Big back to Bemidji by having Babe Ole make a two-ton maul with

Violin Day With Tasmin Little Oct 23rd '04

One of the fantastic side effects of joining St.G'sS's has been to re discover the variety of musical events there are taking place in this neck of the woods. By my second rehearsal I had been introduced to the 'Making Music' organisation, courtesy of a flyer advertising a workshop day with Tasmin Little. I was only just getting my head round the possibility of singing with Sir Willard, and now here was a hands-on session with an international violinist who I had watched since she had played with our youth orchestra back in her (and my) youth. Wow. So, leaving family behind for once, (good thing it was only my daughters 3rd birthday, sure she won't notice this time) I met up with 60 other violinists of all ages and inclinations, and with fiddle in one hand, stand in the other, we filled the drama studio of Crewe's Theatre; with some trepidation I might add, as I was entirely unsure what massed violins 'from scratch' might sound like. The workshops promised to be very varied, ranging from baroque stylistic technique, to folk fiddling, and also an Alexander Technique session before Ms Little's masterclass. In fact they were to reveal a common thread woven through the day and brought together in the grand finale, which was really about lifting the lid on the black and white of the music and finding the life and soul of the music making instead. Kate Fawcet was the Baroque specialist, giving us some practical guidelines to the stylistic techniques of the era. Playing a Teleman double sonata we all, in unison, were able to experience how emotional intensity and textural colour can be brought out of the music despite some striking differences in the hardware that has developed over the centuries. The second workshop was lead by Aidan Broadbridge, a scot who has been classically trained, but remains instinctively folk-minded. He gave us an enthusiastic romp through some of his favourite jigs, encouraging us to go with the swing, which is really a plea to ignore the way that music (dots) tends to become a straightjacket to classical musicians.(When concentrating hard on learning the detail, we forget that the soul and meaning of music is so often in the rhythmic fluency.) So we got comfortable with trusting the impetus of the music and started to find we could even improvise a bit! Alexander Technique is a therapeutic and relaxing method of what I think used to be called deportment. By gaining a better mental picture of your body and in particularly breathing and muscular tension, many performers in different disciplines such have found great benefit from the technique. So after a session without violins, and spread- eagled all over the floor, we were perhaps a little less contorted than the average violinist, and ready for the final workshop. Tasmin Little has an infectious enthusiasm for both the music and its communication to others. She seemed genuinely pleased to have the opportunity to get us to play, and had all 60 of us performing the first few bars of the Mozart A maj. Conc. (Regards my earlier concern, we were now so enthused buy the success of large numbers playing together that confidence was definitely defeating scratching!) But we had no need to panic about playing the next few bars (gets tricky quite quickly) Tasmin leapt in with something enthusiastic to say about the first bar. Sure enough, like so many great teachers, much is demonstrated with very little and we were soon gaining a much deeper understanding of the colour, texture and intention of the phrasing…A ha! We had been learning about those things all day but in so many different contexts. I was beginning to see clearly what I took for granted as a pupil, that in this instrument we have a musical heritage that goes back centuries, and permeates through so many different traditions and cultures. In tapping into that spring of music making we violinists have a special story to tell. How about that for putting the life into some catgut and horse hair? Clare Jackson 5/4/05 10 St George’s Singers or St Mary’s Singers? THE PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY OR ST GEORGE

This article is taken from Grapevine the Poynton Parish Church Newsletter February 2005.

Following the demolition of the old Chapel in Feb 1858, the architect J S Crowther was commissioned to design and supervise the building of a new Parish Church.

At the ceremony of the laying of the foundation stone, it is recorded that “the weather was not too kind, there was the usual procession of dignitaries and pageantry. In the presence of a vast throng the Foundation Stone was well and truly laid by the Hon Augustus Henry Vernon, son of the heir of the patron, Lord Vernon”.

As is customary on such occasions a sealed bottle containing coins of the Realm and appropriate documents were placed in a prepared receptacle and covered with a brass plate, with the usual inscription, stating that the name of the Church was St Mary. This apparently was the intended title.

The building was erected within 12 months and the date of consecration was arranged to coincide with the 1st February birthday of the Hon Augustus Henry Vernon.

“Once again Poynton was in jubilant spirit in accordance with the occasion. There being present many distinguished people apart from the clergy of the surrounding Parishes to witness the ceremony of Consecration by John Graham, Bishop of Chester. Unfortunately the day was marred by the absence through a long indisposition of the minister the Rev Robert Litler. A matter inexplicable but interesting is the fact that whereas the Foundation Stone was laid in the intended name of St Mary the sentence of consecration dated 1 February 1859 states that the Church is dedicated to St George. Although strong protests were made, the Ecclesiastical Commission were adamant that it should remain as such.”

The original church building had no tower or steeple as the architect was of the opinion that “toiwers are not as important as a sizeable sanctuary and chancel”. The tower and steeple were completed and capped by the Rev A E Gray and duly dedicated on 23 April 1885.

Despite prudent searches and investigation over many years, the location of the Foundation Stone has never been discovered leading to the belief that it is located in that part of the foundations of the church subsequently integrated within the foundations for the Tower.

23 years later feelings were still obviously running high for in the Poynton Parish Mag dated Feb 1882 the vicar John Still wrote “The anniversary of the consecration of our church falls on the 1st of this month, so it seems appropriate to give the following extract from the Parish Register, entered by the incumbent, the Rev R Litler soon after the ceremony: The foundation stone of Poynton new Church (named St Mary after the ancient church near the Towers) was lad by the Hon Augusts H Vernon, eldest son of Lord Vernon on 7 April 1858 and the church was consecrated on 1 Feb 1859. Owing to the dangerous illness of the Rev R Litler, who was not able at the time to attend to the subject, the church is named St George in the consecration deed, but on the brass plate, which covers the bottle in the foundation stone, containing particulars of the event, it is named St Mary as was so named by Mr Vernon after this stone was laid (7 April 1858) and it is intended to know it by no other name, as the painted windows etc have been made to symbolise the Virgin Mary”.

The referene to the windows is in evidence today for all to see …………

WHY HAD THE ANOMALY OCCURRED? WHAT COULD HAVE POSSIBLY LED UP TO THE CHANGE OF NAME?

Poynton Parish Mag of April 1884 contains an article headed” Mary’s Chapel” which states “It had always hitherto been supposed that the earliest mention of St Mary’s Chapel near the Towers was to be found in the account of a lawsuit about the Patronage of the Chapel in 1312. Mr Earwaker, the historian of East Cheshire has recently met with a mention of it 25 years earlier. There was a meeting held in Poynton Chapel on a Wednesday in July 1287 at which Thomas Worth was formally put in possession of all the land and tenements previously held by his father Richard Worth. These lands and tenements no double consisted of those many detached pieces of land which formed “the Manor of Worth within the vill of Poynton”. Worth passed from the family of that name to the Hulmes, and from them (by marriage to the Downes of Shrigley, by whom it was sold to the Warrens towards the close of the last century” (circa 1790).

In 1530 Sir Edward Warren built a new hall in Poynton Park and a new chapel which was dedicated to St Mary. In 1741 the chapel was rebuilt, and as an historical note, in 1748 Handel played on the chapel’s Glyn and Parker organ when he was visiting friends at Adlington Hall. The last baptism at the chapel in the Park was recorded as 24 April 1787. Subsequent to this a new hall, Poynton Towers was built, but this time without a chapel.

An article in the Poynton Parish Mag of Jan 1883 records that the period Thomas Jennings was Incumbent in Poynton (1773 – 1794) the old Chapel of St Mary which stood near the Towers was pulled down and a new one built a few yards east of the present Church (on the site now occupied by the War Memorial). The new Chapel was dedicated to St George, not so much in honour of the legendary Saint of that name, as in honour of the reigning Sovereign (George III) and of the then owner of Poynton Sir George Warren.

It was on 27 August 1787 that Viscountess Elizabeth Harriet Bulkeley laid the foundation stone for a new brick chapel which was dedicated to St George and which was consecrated on 21 July 1789. It was condemned in 1858, demolished and the current church erected adjacent to its site. Transcribed by Elvira

11 A tenor in heaven

SIGNS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

At a Budapest ZOO: Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable food, give it to the guard on duty.

Doctors office, Rome:

Specialist in women and other diseases.

Hotel, Acupulco:

The manager has personally passed all the water served here,

In a Nairobi restaurant: Customers who find our waitresses rude ought to see the manager.

On the grounds of a private school: No trespassing without permission.

On an Athi River highway Take notice: when this sign is under water; this road is

impassable.

On a poster at Kencom: Are you an adult that cannot read? If so, we can help.

In a City restaurant: - Open seven days per week, and weekends too.

in a Pumwani maternity ward: What Follows Gretchaninov? No children allowed.

In a cemetery, Persons are prohibited from picking flowers from any

but their own graves Tokyo hotel's rules are regulations:

Guests are requested not to smoke or do other disgusting behaviours in bed.

Hotel brochure, Italy: This hotel is renowned for its peace and solitude. In fact, crowds from all over the world flock here to enjoy its solitude.

Hotel lobby, Bucharest: The lift is being fixed for the next day. During that

time we regret that you will be unbearable.

Hotel elevator, Paris:

Please leave your values at the front desk. Hotel, Yugoslavia: The flattening of underwear with pleasure is the job of the chambermaid

Mark L

Editor Elvira Williams – The Grove Wilmslow, SK9 5EG Email: [email protected] Tel: 01625 250910

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