However, since the 50 or so people
were going to the Cathedral anyway, it was decided that we might as well get
there early and attend the 3.00 p.m. Choral Evensong that preceded the concert.
The trip had a rather inauspicious start!
Firstly there was confusion about the planned departure time
so some people arrived expecting to leave at 1.00 p.m. and others for 1.30
p.m.! Finally we were off but only to
grind, literally and almost immediately, to a halt! The congestion on Liverpool Road meant that
the bus driver was unable to complete the right turn that he began to
execute. Unfortunately, in reversing to
extricate itself from this manoeuvre and set off down Clifford Road, the coach
scraped against a car trying to turn right into St. John’s Road from Liverpool Road. Eventually, disengaging from this debacle, we
really were on our way to Liverpool!
We reached the Cathedral in good time and most of us refreshed
ourselves, in the relaxed atmosphere of the Cathedral Café’ before taking our
places for the service. As we moved back
into the body of the Cathedral to work out where we should sit one of the
welcomers said, “Oh! Have you come to support that lovely lady organist?" We were delighted to be able to say that yes,
we had!
With many others, I actually sat on one of the folding seats
set up between the choir stalls and the High Altar and so experienced the
service from the back (so to speak) and had a good view of the conductor and
the half of the choir that was on the other side of the aisle.
The service over, some of
us moved into the choir stalls to get a better view of the organ console.
At last the moment we had
been awaiting had arrived! The half hour
concert was about to begin!
After a quick briefing, Julie Ann was introduced and took
her place at the organ console.
The program was varied and, in that magnificent
venue, with the organ towering above us and the music soaring around and above
us, it was a truly transporting experience.
The pieces that Julie played were
“Plein Jeu a la Couperin” (Gordon Young – 1919–1998); “Autumn (The Four
Seasons)” arr. Carr (Anthonio Vivaldi – 1678-1741); “March Triumphale” (Jaques
Lemmens (1823-1881); “Reverie” (Dennis Taylor – 1922-1991) and “Toccata in F
minor” (William Ralph Driffill – 1870-1922).
From where we were sitting we could see not only Julie’s
hands flying over the keyboard but also her feet literally dancing over the
pedals! Often she seemed to be at full stretch. It seemed miraculous that she
could be doing so much at once to produce the glorious sounds we were
hearing!
All to soon, the concert was over and Julie was jumping down
from her seat!
However the applause was
loud and long and Julie rewarded us with an amazing encore. This was not only remarkably arranged and
played but also uplifting and fun! She
played “Oh when the Saints” as only Julie Ann Carr can! Following that everybody left the Cathedral
with a smile on their face and with a spring in their step.
A big thank you to Geoffrey for organising the coach and of course to Julie for an amazing afternoon!
