Does anyone here understand the Commonwealth Day service?

[cat]

I've just finished watching the Commonwealth Day service broadcast live on BBC One from Westminster Abbey. There were various musical items (such as a saxophonist covering Bob Marley) each of which was followed by applause from the audience/congregation. The only musical numbers which weren't applauded were those sung by the abbey's choir, which were met with stony silence. It all seemed a mighty mess and throws into perspective complaints from some on here about choral evensong straying into concert territory due to the presence of music stands.

Apparently it has been going since the 1970s. Is it an anachronism that everyone accepts because it's the wish of the sovereign that the event takes place in the way it does? I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be too hard to come up with a service that was equally as celebratory of the diversity of the commonwealth whilst actually being a coherent church service. Or perhaps they should decamp to Westminster Central Hall and just have a multi-faith concert instead.

[mopsus]

Evensong at Bath Abbey yesterday had a Commonwealth theme. The music planned had to be partly redone a week or so beforehand when the music department found this out, so we had Chilcott's arrangement of 'Were you there?' (originating in the US, I know) as an introit, a Ghanaian 'Kyrie' during the prayers, and the South African 'Kuma mina' just before the National Anthem at the end. The service was attended by many from Commonwealth countries, especially those on Commonwealth scholarships, some of whom led prayers and read lessons. The service was obviously planned some time in advance - it was in the diary of the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset - and with more notice there could have been a more thorough representation of music from those countries (e.g. anthem by June Nixon?)

[Wolsey]

I've just finished watching the Commonwealth Day service broadcast live on BBC One from Westminster Abbey. There were various musical items (such as a saxophonist covering Bob Marley) each of which was followed by applause from the audience/congregation. The only musical numbers which weren't applauded were those sung by the abbey's choir, which were met with stony silence. It all seemed a mighty mess and throws into perspective complaints from some on here about choral evensong straying into concert territory due to the presence of music stands.

Apparently it has been going since the 1970s. Is it an anachronism that everyone accepts because it's the wish of the sovereign that the event takes place in the way it does? I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be too hard to come up with a service that was equally as celebratory of the diversity of the commonwealth whilst actually being a coherent church service. Or perhaps they should decamp to Westminster Central Hall and just have a multi-faith concert instead.

The service is organised by the Royal Commonwealth Society. I'd be interested to know what, precisely, you feel needs to be done to make it a 'coherent' church service - bearing in mind that its elements have long reflected the diversity of the Commonwealth and it's attended by 750 children. Unless I'm mistaken, the Abbey choir's contribution was their first broadcast under their new Director, and they sounded superb.

[smittims]

I think we have a clash of different customs and conventions. It's customary to applaud jazz-or-jazz-type performances, but not church performances understood to be part of an act of worship. To have them side by side like this throws the contrast into relief.

There used to be a convention that concerts (yes, concerts, not services) in churches were not applauded. And at one time ,even morning concerts , even in concert halls , were traditionally not applauded.

Like the old (1950s and before) laws about what you could or couldn't do on a Sunday, this will seem crazy and inexplicable to many younger people, but evolution happens slowly and at diffrent speeds. I've known vicars who encourage applause in church at certain moments.

[mopsus]

A former Rector of Bath Abbey forbade applause at concerts there as late as the 1980s, I believe.

We applauded twice at my (rather traditional) church at last Sunday's Eucharist - once for a new chorister and once (less appropriately, as it looked as if we were glad to see the back of him) for a member of the congregation who was leaving to return to his home country. In my experience it's now standard at weddings, confirmations (on the rare occasions those happen), etc., although I've yet to hear it at a funeral....

[Simon Biazeck]

The service is organised by the Royal Commonwealth Society. I'd be interested to know what, precisely, you feel needs to be done to make it a 'coherent' church service - bearing in mind that its elements have long reflected the diversity of the Commonwealth and it's attended by 750 children. Unless I'm mistaken, the Abbey choir's contribution was their first broadcast under their new Director, and they sounded superb.

[Serial_Apologist]

I've known vicars who encourage applause in church at certain moments.

But only permitted when the preacher reports that "God is on our side".

[PeterboroughDiapason]

Unless I'm mistaken, the Abbey choir's contribution was their first broadcast under their new Director, and they sounded superb.

Indeed. The Britten Jubilate was sung at quite a lick.