The tuning fork had its annual workout this evening - let me explain. For those of you who are not of a musical leaning, you are probably thinking that a tuning fork is a piece of cutlery which you eat tunes with! - WRONG!
It is a two pronged device which when you strike the "prongs" gives off a very accurate sound at a measured pitch.
So why did my tuning fork get its annual workout this evening?
Well this evening was the Festival of Lessons and Carols, and I like to start the service off in a similar manner to Kings College Cambridge. The first carol is always "Once in Royal David's City", and at Kings College it has become tradition for the first verse of the carol to be sung unaccompanied by a solo choirboy at the west end of the Chapel.
Sadly we don't have any choirboys - (I am reliably informed that they are becoming as rare as hen's teeth), so we commence the carol with the sopranos singing the first verse unaccompanied at the west end of the church.
There are those people who claim to have perfect pitch, and can pluck any note "out of the air" as it were. I prefer to rely on my trusty tuning fork, which when the prongs are struck gives me an indication of the note I need to start the ladies off with.
By the time they have sung the first verse, I am seated on the organ and ready to commence the accompaniment for verse two!
One of the other carols we sang was "Angels from the Realms of Glory", which has a wonderful bell like chorus. The organ has a Zimbalstern which sounds very much like a xylophone being played, and gives a jingly bell like sound, so come the words
"Come and Worship,
Worship Christ the New Born
Come and Worship,
Worship Christ the New Born King."
out comes the Zimbalstern stop to mimic the sound of chiming bells. Attached to the top of the Positiv Casework is a large star, which revolves in time to the chimes. All very impressive and effective, and more than a little Christmassy!
The star in the centre of the Positive casework
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