Today I sat down to breakfast with the only other person in the dining room and realized he was James Whitbourn the co-director of the Institute and the Composer of Annelies a choral work based on the Diary of Anne Frank (The Recording of which was nominated for a GRAMMY last year.). In the afternoon was a chance to meet the 50 members of the demonstration choir (Williamson Voices) and the 25 choir directors (over tea of course). The rest of the day was given over to discovering chant both didactically as a pedagogical study and practically as we rehearsed and then sang the Compline service that St. Stevens sings in the summer.

I would call this series of lectures “Chant Demystified”. At least the mechanics of chanting were demystified. singing in a space with lovely acoustics and imagining monks singing the same music every night for over 100 years is style awe inspiring and mystical. Tomorrow we meet the first of the big three. The music director of Magdalen College, Daniel Hyde.

Compline Service of St. Stevens House sung by members of Williamson Voices and the Directors attending CMI