From Darkness to Light at Salisbury Cathedral (From Salisbury Journal)

From Darkness to Light at Salisbury Cathedral

1:46pm Wednesday 3rd December 2008 in

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SALISBURY Cathedral’s Advent procession ‘From Darkness to Light’ proved hugely popular at the weekend.

Starting with the Cathedral in total darkness and complete silence as the Advent candle was lit, by the end the whole interior of the building was illuminated by 1300 candles.

Two colourful processions involving one hundred clergy, choirs and taperers moved slowly around the entire building whilst the story of Christ’s coming was re-told through music and readings.

Director of music, David Halls, fully understands why this service is regarded by many as the unmissable start to the season of Advent. “The music, sung by the cathedral choir, is a careful mixture of plainsong and polyphony, all of which is unaccompanied, and perfectly in keeping with the feeling of expectation that underpins Advent,” he said.

This year, for the first time, we had a plainsong choir of girls’ voices singing from the West End gallery. This is all a perfect contrast to the great Advent hymns, sung here by a congregation of over seventeen hundred on both evenings, and sounding truly magnificent accompanied by the mighty Father Willis organ. There is always a great feeling of momentum as the service reaches its climax.”

The cathedral choir was conducted by David Halls and Stephen Moore, the cathedral’s organ scholar, and the organist was Daniel Cook, Assistant Director of Music.