A GLORIOUS CONCERT...

...at St Clement Danes Church in London. It stands at the end of The Strand, opposite Australia House and near the Law Courts. It's a beautiful church, originally established shortly after the Norman Conquest, and rebuilt a couple of times, most recently following the WWII Blitz.

The concert was by a superb chamber choir,  Vivamus. Among the works presented was a most beautiful setting by Mendeslssohn of the Magnificat.  The words sound rather fine in German:"Mein Herz Got/ den Herrn, und es freut sich/Mein Geist Gottes/Meines Heilands..."  We also had a pleasing setting of "O Holy Night", a modern carol "My Lord has come", and lots  more, including some of good hearty traditional stuff in which we were all encouraged to join, which we did with great enthusiasm. A most inspiring and uplifting evening.

A young relative was singing in the choir and, this being the Royal Air Force church, her great-uncle's name is among those commemorated in one of the  glass-fronted memorial stands along the walls. He was shot down somewhere over the North Sea 75 years ago.  As it happens, he had a particular link to this part of London, as he worked for a while near Fleet Street and was married at St Bride's church.  As the music soared, I pondered that, and the story of our family that it represents, binding us to the story of London and of our country...