The Queen's Jubilee

[Mr Pee]

My comment was meant in a light-hearted way and was not meant to cause offence. I found the lack of uniforms in general at St Paul's very refreshing; the royal gentlemen really look OK in suits. Transported by cars too (even if they were posh ones) - and not a horse and cart in sight.

Fair enough.

[scottycelt]

in the words (albeit slightly misquoted !!!) of your compatriot Mr Welsh

" I chose somethin' else."

A Scot named 'Welsh' ... sounds Irish to me ... are you sure you've got your English right ... ?

[Serial_Apologist]

Actually, I suspect the great attraction of the British Monarchy to people throughout the world is that its members do not generally appear in Tesco suits (or M&S frocks) on state occasions, and are often seen driven by beautifully-groomed horses and carts rather than limousines. Our lot tend to leave thoroughly boring and everyday mundane things to the common foreign and avowedly republican hoi-polloi like US Presidents.

Alternatively, of course, they could stand on balconies, in actual combat gear, and closely inspect goose-stepping troops and tanks parade before them ...

Take your pick!

You may scoff, but it would only take a tiny switch from ceremonials to battle dress to pass Jo and Joe Public by, scotty. This morning on Toady a retired chief of the Queen's Staff (Sir Christopher Howard was it?) was saying that the regiments closest to the Royal Family by dint of title or whatever were "visceral" in their loyalty, and would be highly resentful if any move to disband the monarchy. There wasnoticeably a veiled thread subtexting his tone of voice. It is highly convenient for the ruling classes having enjoyed such loyal devotion twixt armed wing of the state and the populace at large fixated for so long on this undemocratic institution that it has acquired the kind of substitute parenthood comparable only with the family dynasty heading North Korea.

[MrGongGong]

A Scot named 'Welsh' ... sounds Irish to me ... are you sure you've got your English right ... ?

I really think you are an impostor
firstly you haven't heard of Auchtermuchty
and now you seem to be unaware of Irvine Welsh

so i think you really are in Tunbridge Wells wearing a Union Jack pair of pants .................

so this means nothing to you ?

It's SHITE being Scottish! We're the lowest of the low, the scum of the f***ing earth, the most wretched, miserable, servile, pathetic trash that was ever shat into civilization. Some people hate the English, I don't. They're just wankers. We, on the other hand, are colonized by wankers. We can't even find a decent culture to be colonized by. We are ruled by effete arseholes. It's a shite state of affairs to be in, Tommy! And all the fresh air in the world won't make any f*ing difference!

[mangerton]

Verse 2 is for choir only, and verse 3 for choir and trumpet.
Verse 4 is a choir verse too, but the tenors get the melody.

Having been at work today, I caught up with the service this evening.

Yes, that's absolutely right, EA. Verse 4 is known as a Faux Bourdon* setting in the trade. I was sorry too that they omitted the trumpet solo and the V4 setting. They used the same harmony for the middle three verses. We sang that setting at church on Sunday, albeit only with the organ reeds. I love RVW's musical direction for the first and last verses: "All available trumpets". Today's trumpets were superb.

The Te Deum was stunning, as was the Wood anthem. The last verse - well, all, actually - of Cwm Rhondda was good too. The Diamond choir did well, bearing in mind they only came together on Sunday. There's some interesting information about it here:

http://www.diamondchoir.co.uk/

* Pedant alert. In hymn singing. I know the term has other meanings too.

[johnb]

Forgive me for not reading any of this thread but I need to rant and this seems a good place.

Before this weekend I was mildly sceptical of the need for a Royal Family.

After a long weekend (a very, very long weekend) of sycophantic drivel and endless TV and newspaper coverage (and it does seem as though it has been going on for an eternity) I now think the Russians had the right idea about the monarchy.

We need a grown up constitution without all this embarrassing Ruritanian flimflam.

[End of rant]

[MrGongGong]

Forgive me for not reading any of this thread but I need to rant and this seems a good place.

Before this weekend I was mildly sceptical of the need for a Royal Family.

After a long weekend (a very, very long weekend) of sycophantic drivel and endless TV and newspaper coverage (and it does seem as though it has been going on for an eternity) I now think the Russians had the right idea about the monarchy.

We need a grown up constitution without all this embarrassing Ruritanian flimflam.

[End of rant]

Careful now
you might end up joining us "miserable" ones

[mangerton]

Mangerton, I like the Fox Hat joke very much. I did however once tell it to a group of worthies from Campbeltown at a 65th birthday party. Turned out they were all keen Kirk-goers. We are talking deafening silence, a tumbleweed moment! . . . . and some fell on stoney ground.

Thank you, and to others for their kind remarks and smileys.

Curalach, oh dear. I'm sorry. Been there, got the tee shirt. You just wish the ground would open up..... And that was Campbeltown, famed for its distilleries. If you'd been a hundred miles further north, you'd have been lynched. You know what they say about some forms of Sc Presbyterians. They have the uneasy feeling that someone, somewhere, is enjoying himself.

I was in the Kirk all my life until twenty years ago when I joined a Scottish Episcopal church choir. Best thing I ever did!

[Serial_Apologist]

Thank you, and to others for their kind remarks and smileys.

Curalach, oh dear. I'm sorry. Been there, got the tee shirt. You just wish the ground would open up..... And that was Campbeltown, famed for its distilleries. If you'd been a hundred miles further north, you'd have been lynched. You know what they say about some forms of Sc Presbyterians. They have the uneasy feeling that someone, somewhere, is enjoying himself.

I was in the Kirk all my life until twenty years ago when I joined a Scottish Episcopal church choir. Best thing I ever did!

So now, are you allowed to go and and get episced occasionally, Mangs?

[John Wright]

johnb, it's possible the existence of the monarchy in UK might have prevented a left-wing or right-wing coup during the last 60 years?

As well as ignoring the content of this thread, johnb, you are also ignoring the happiness in the crowds following the Queen's journeys this weekend, and ignoring the fact that the royals don't 'rule' us, we are hardly her maj's subjects are we, we are a democracy and you are entitled to dislike them without fear of imprisonment, so live with it!

Forgive me for not reading any of this thread but I need to rant and this seems a good place.

Before this weekend I was mildly sceptical of the need for a Royal Family.

After a long weekend (a very, very long weekend) of sycophantic drivel and endless TV and newspaper coverage (and it does seem as though it has been going on for an eternity) I now think the Russians had the right idea about the monarchy.

We need a grown up constitution without all this embarrassing Ruritanian flimflam.

[End of rant]

[MrGongGong]

johnb, it's possible the existence of the monarchy in UK might have prevented a left-wing or right-wing coup during the last 60 years?

As well as ignoring the content of this thread, johnb, you are also ignoring the happiness in the crowds following the Queen's journeys this weekend, and ignoring the fact that the royals don't 'rule' us, we are hardly her maj's subjects are we, we are a democracy and you are entitled to dislike them without fear of imprisonment, so live with it!

I didn't realise this was a thread about bigging up the queen ?
I'm sure she can cope
and it's not "ignoring the happiness of the crowds" to point out what a load of tosh it is ?
I'm sure many would feel the same about the crowds who follow football ! (but , of course, we aren't expected to pay for that !!)

It's also possible (but highly unlikely I know) that this is true !



always good to see what the Ickester is up to

this must be the secret to why the gig was so crap ?

http://www.davidicke.com/headlines/67307-the-amazing-sychophantic-sychronicity-of-the-queens-jubilee-concert-

[johnb]

johnb, it's possible the existence of the monarchy in UK might have prevented a left-wing or right-wing coup during the last 60 years?

As well as ignoring the content of this thread, johnb, you are also ignoring the happiness in the crowds following the Queen's journeys this weekend, and ignoring the fact that the royals don't 'rule' us, we are hardly her maj's subjects are we, we are a democracy and you are entitled to dislike them without fear of imprisonment, so live with it!

So we have the royals to thank for our democracy and without them we would have been subject to various coups and there would be no freedom of speech. I can't help but find that a curious interpretation. [Edited]

It's also possible that the elephant traps at the bottom of my garden are the reason that I haven't been trampled by elephants.

It's possible - but extremely unlikely.

[Lateralthinking1]

Were Edgley Rob and I the only ones to have any interest in the music ay St Paul's this morning? Bit of a contrast with the so-called concert last night. Bit odd for a Forum devoted to classical music don't you think?

I thought Todd's "The Call of Wisdom", performed by the Diamond Choir, was excellent and very moving. It is a really lovely piece and was one of the best moments of the long weekend in my view. The Te Deum was also impressive.

I have absolutely no complaints about the BBC's television coverage on Tuesday. Huw Edwards was a steady anchor; we had the historical context and individuals' stories, both interesting and informative; and Schama is always welcome although I thought some of the comments from Cannadine were equally - actually perhaps even more - profound.

I hadn't realised that Charles could become the oldest person to be crowned - there is a about a year's difference currently; I agreed with the statement that the authority of the Royal Family is now based on affection rather than military hardware; and I really liked the challenging observation that "modernising is a very traditional thing" for the Royal Family to undergo.

Regrettably, the reading by the Prime Minister seemed light years away from his own outlook and behaviour; Clegg looked bored and irritable - perhaps it was Rowan Williams's very wise address that upset him; and Ed, while at least seeming human, had his hand stuffed down his pocket which didn't look good, although his wife really does seem very friendly.

[scottycelt]

I really think you are an impostor
firstly you haven't heard of Auchtermuchty
and now you seem to be unaware of Irvine Welsh

so i think you really are in Tunbridge Wells wearing a Union Jack pair of pants .................

so this means nothing to you ?

I think you should follow your own advice and 'lighten up' ...

I never said I hadn't heard of Auchtermuchty, simply revealing (no doubt like the huge majority of Scots,) that I'd never been there ...

I also never said I'd never heard of Irvine Welsh ...

However, I'm sure there are plenty of Scots who have indeed never heard of either or both Auchtermuchty and Irvine Welsh, yet they might be deeply, deeply offended if you called them anything other than 'Scots'.

We also don't all wear kilts, play bagpipes, and stuff ourselves with whisky-splattered haggis and Arbroath smokies, Mr GG ...

[Panjandrum]

We also don't all wear kilts, play bagpipes, and stuff ourselves with whisky-splattered haggis and Arbroath smokies, Mr GG ...

Now who's guilty of stereotyping eh GG?