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Visiting Different Churches - Sung Eucharist

One of the Harvest displays
The view up the chancel
 


Hello everyone, in today's post I'm going to talk about the services I attended at The Priory in Lancaster.   The church is a beautiful building and I arrived on harvest festival day so it was decked out with various harvest-related items made by the groups associated with the church highlighting what they do to help provide for those in need, or how what they do can link in with food.  

The services were brilliant, in my tradition of Anglo-catholic with the bells and smells approach.  I found it interesting that the thurifer didn't carry the thurible in the procession, carrying a sceptre instead, the reason being the smoke could irritate asthmatics. The services were also accompanied throughout by a 25 strong choir, the first week I went it was the men and boys, the other week was men and girls.  It meant it was a truly sung Eucharist with almost every prayer being accompanied by their powerful vocals.  I wish I was a talented enough singer to do it, though it would probably lead to people holding their ears and wailing at me to stop!

The structure of the service was very similar to what I am used to, however the notices were done at the very beginning, just before the service proper started.  Also after the processional hymn all the children were invited up to the front, asked questions to do with what the day's gospel reading would be, and then sent off to sunday school with the child who offered the best answer or cutest answer given a small wooden cross so they could lead the way.
An example picture found from google images
After that it was the usual Gloria, readings, homily, creed, intercessions, Eucharist, dismissal.  I felt very comfortable with the layout and I did enjoy belting out the hymns and prayers knowing full well my tone deafness will be drowned out by everyone else!   During the gradual hymn the bible was carried into the centre of the aisle so everyone could see it and to bring the Word into the heart of the congregation which I found to be a great idea.
I also attended my first sung Mattin as well.  Sadly I couldn't find the correct page in the BCP so I just stood/sat/knelt and listened.  It was a very moving experience, having the prayers sung and chanted it felt like I was transported back in time and into the presence of God.
In summary I did enjoy attending The Priory and seeing a service with a full, professional choir.  If one is at your disposal it is definitely worth having them there!  I also liked how they took the traditional service and made it friendly and inclusive.
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