It came upon a 6pm clear....

Once upon a time.... well, about a couple of months ago - a work email came round saying that there would be a Xmas party on the 16th, at our Savoy Place office in London. Since this is one of the top London conference centres, with stunning views over the Thames and catering at the level you'd expect, this was a no-brain decision.
Then there was an email saying there would be a carol concert and mulled wine/mince pie reception before the party - book if you'd like to come. I like my mulled wine, mince pies, and sing-along. I said yes.

Edit: it has been pointed out to me that there is a difference between a carol concert and a carol service. Later emails on this subject refer to a carol service. To me, they're the same thing, so what registered was "carol-based sing-along".

I'd been to work "carol concerts" before, at Unipath - similar size firm. A few dozen people, a backing CD, some songsheets with most of the verses missing, and we wander in an embarrassed manner through some random keys before sprinting for the mince pies. I expected something similar, but with better quality mince pies.

More info, and a request - it would be in the chapel of the Savoy Hotel, and they'd like readers. Oh? That's heading towards a "real" carol concert then, the sort of thing that might have senior managers or directors present. That 5 months out of work altered the way I think about a lot of things, and one change has been the permanent background thought: "you are a product - sell yourself". I said I'd do a reading. Well, if I could do it at age 10 in a full-size church with no microphone, I can do it now, right? (I used to get picked as one of the few under-tens who didn't giggle at "was great with child".) Getting noticed by directors, as long as it's in a good way, can't hurt.

I did a bit of "do I have the nerve?" dithering, leading to me being a reserve, then moved back into the main team as they were short of female readers. A short one, to make it easy for me.

A few days before the event, the individual texts and the order of service were sent out. This is a "sell myself" event - research as if for a job interview seemed appropriate. Yes, mine was short: Isaiah 9 vv 2,6,7. The prophet fortells.... short, yes, but this isn't a nice chatty story, it's obscure, and with weird sentence structure. A quick skim through the rest showed some of my favourite carols, so fine, and the names of the other readers. I looked them up. Yes, there would indeed be directors present - two of them were reading! Panic.....
Let me save you the effort of looking it up

THE PROPHET FORETELLS OF THE COMING OF THE SAVIOUR
2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death upon them hath the light shined.
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from hence-forth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
THANKS BE TO GOD

OK, carry on with the interview-level research. Check wth the organiser about dress code. Most people will be in party dress since they're going there afterwards (yes, but what do we mean by "party"? Black tie, jeans and spangle Tshirt, or what?) but the chapel can be chilly so she'd recommend a good thick coat. OK, problem solved, the smart black office coat covers all sins. I went back to reading and re-reading those three verses to be sure I really did understand exactly how those odd clauses and sub-clauses in v7 worked.

I really should have thought more about that chilly chapel, but I didn't - I was assuming a room at the back of the hotel somewhere, set up as a chapellette for the benefit of guests, and not used often enough to have proper heating - it isn't as if they can have a C14 church hidden away in a Victorian London bit of the City, is it? But I didn't. Busy week. I should have read down to the bottom of the sheet and seen a bit more about the musicians. I didn't do that either. Nor did I Google the hotel, or the chapel - I knew where the place was, transport was by coach from the IET anyway, no need to worry. What I did do was consult an ordained friend about any tips or tricks in the reading, and got a reassuring answer. I also got told to be there at 5:30 for rehearsals before the 6pm service - OK, rehearsal means a chance to be sure of how the mike works (feeedback, etc).

Friday night, and logistics working out fine, until we got off the coach a little further from the IET offices than I'd anticipated, and people shot off in all directions, including several heading up a side-road to the back of the IET and hotel. They must know where they're going....

No, there isn't a dilapidated C14 church hidden round the back. The Queens Chapel of the Savoy is C16, and stunningly beautiful.
http://www.londontown.com/LondonInformation/Attraction/Queens_Chapel_of_the_Savoy/5474/
You're not allowed to use cameras inside, so follow that link and admire. Painted ceiling, enameled plaques for the coats of arms of the people who get to sit in each pew - yes, when they say "Queen's Chapel", they really do mean that's who owns it.
edit: extra link http://www.duchyoflancaster.co.uk/about-the-duchy/historic-properties/london/

A belated skim to the bottom of that sheet - organist and Master of Music both have rather a lot of letters after their names. Erm.... I've agreed to perform to this standard? Yes, I used to do much tougher settings and pieces in the Far Isles, but I stopped doing that because I was having panic attacks so bad they looked like heart attacks.

This place is Organised. Anyone would think they'd done it before.... I'd got the printout of my reading, of course, but was told to leave that - it was already on the lecturn, large clear print, at the right page. Readers sit in the front row, number one (me!!! panic!) at the outside, and once you've read, you move to the second row (empty for that purpose). There was a rehearsal reading. Slow down. Breath. Obey the Rev Dr Moose's rules: slow, clear, use the punctuation. Add my own: read it as if no-one present has ever heard it before, and it's vitally important. I got through it with no re-take necessary (unlike some), and was told that my speed and delivery were perfect, nothing to worry about, just make sure you say the "Thanks be to God" bit at the end - yes, I had. We sat down, we wondered if second reader was going to show, we exchanged slightly nervous jokes and cough sweets. We reminded each other about "thanks be to god", and how it should not acquire the tone of "thank God that's over". Socialising even at minimum level with directors = advert...

And it's 6pm. Processional carol - Once in Royal. "The congregation is asked to sing from verse 3". Yes, we got the treble solo for the first verse - one of the most beautiful carols I know of, and the perfect start. An intro from the Chaplain, telling us a bit about the place, then the choir doing a version of "Adam lay Ybounden" that I'd never heard before - yes, ths really was the sort of choir you'd expect if you were thinking "Queen's Chapel" not "hotel chapel". Small, but perfectly formed.

And then it was me. I did not fall over up the steps, I had my top pulled down not riding up, I breathed properly, I said every word as if I understood them and meant them and thought there was nothing more important than telling them to everyone else - because for the minute or so it took to read, I did. I remembered the "thanks" bit. I did not fall over on the way down, I got to the right seat without disrupting anything.

Then we were into "It came upon a midnight clear", which has always been one of my favourites. I'm a sucker for music-based religious metaphors anyway (see Silmarillion). A nice, relaxed sing-along - except that I was more than usually tuned-in to the actual details of the words rather than just singing from memory, and was listening to what the organist was doing. I mean usually, there's the organ part for a song, the organist repeats it the appropriate number of times, maybe a little flourish for the last descant verse, job done. Not this time. "And man, at war with man..." and the organ acquires a harsh, brassy note reminiscent of Holst and Mars. "O hush the noise.." and it drops volume and the tone sweetens. "For lo! the days are hastening on..." and a high trumpet says "Lo!".  Maybe those variations are done more often than I'd realised, maybe I just hadn't listened properly before, but this was not just perfect, it was better than perfect.

We'd said half-jokingly that as I was reading first, I'd be setting the standard for the others. Fortunately, this was not the case. The second reading was Luke: Gabriel telling Mary what's what. That's a story, and mainly dialogue, and requires a totally different reading style to make the most of it. It got it - body language to bring the characters to life, the lot. Just what I'd have done with it myself, and a complete contrast to the very formal style I'd used. Third, fourth and fifth readings - also nice easy  story-style.

We got to sing Silent NIght and Good KIng Wenceslaus - two more favourites of mine, complete with the split male/female parts for King/Page. We got to listen to the choir doing beautiful complicated things with "The Voice of Gabriel", "Personent Hodie", and "The Sussex Carol". We admired the sixth reading, John 1 vv 1-14 "In the beginning was the Word..." and in my case at least, felt very glad that the Chaplain was doing that one. And then..... "O Holy Night". It's a wonderful solo if done by a really good voice. This... the silence in the congregation went from polite to stunned. Later, in the prayers and blessing, we found out who had been singing, and why he sounded like the best chorister in the country.
http://www.duchyoflancaster.co.uk/2011/11/14/richard-decker-named-chorister-of-the-year/

I don't usually tear up just because things are breathtakingly beautiful, but I did this time. The music, the setting... every detail of the entire event was as perfect as it possibly could be, in ways I couldn't have imagined if I'd tried to write an "in your wildest dreams" spec.

Processional out - Hark the Herald, and one tiny, minor, but understandable disappointment. No descant.

So we filed out, and I passed on my compliments to the organist for that great subtle addition to "Midnight clear" - yes, it had been noticed and appreciated - and I got accosted by half a dozen people I'd never met before, two of them the afore-mentioned directors, to congratulate me on my reading. Remember I'd been first one up, they'd had all service to forget me. That'll do.

 

And there were mince pies, and mulled wine, and the best view over the Thames in London, and excellent food, and so many free drink tokens we ended up giving them away, and Scaletrix and similar games, and it was good. But I can't really go into raptures over one of the best works parties I've ever been to. because that carol concert was so much better.


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