“What a lovely ice cream – the Wedding was nice too!”

On Saturday 26th April, twenty five members of the Chapel Choir sang at the Wedding of Miss Jessica Tiarks and Mr Benjamin Allen at 3:30pm in St Peter’s Church, Martley.

After lunch we changed into our suits and got into our Choir Gowns. After a short rehearsal in the Music School we boarded the coach for the short journey to Martley.

Once we had organised our seating in the choir stalls of this lovely church we got our music sorted out and had a brief warm up, followed by a run-through of all the music that had been requested. We then heard Miss Joanna Howard (OA and fantastic soprano) rehearse with Mr Schellenberg.

After a break and some fresh air, we went back to our places in church and sat whilst the guests gathered. They all looked very smart and the church became very full! Before long, it was announced that the Bride had arrived and we all stood up as Mr Schellenberg played the ‘Hornpipe’ (from the ‘Water Music’) by Handel. After this we sang the hymns ‘Tell out my soul’, ‘My song is love unknown’, ‘I vow to thee my country’ and ‘Mine eyes have seen the glory’. The service was taken by the Rev’d David Sherwin, Vicar of Martley and we all laughed a lot!

During the signing of the Registers we sang ‘Jesu, joy of man’s desiring, by J. S. Bach, and Miss Howard sang ‘Ave verum’ by Mozart. Mr Schellenberg played the Toccata (from Symphonie nr. V) by C-M. Widor as the Recessional and we thought that both him and the organ might collapse! It certainly blew a few cobwebs out from the organ.

After lots of lovely compliments on our singing and the gift of a box of Mars bars we got back onto the coach and then stopped for an ice cream before we got back to school.

The sun was bright, the rain held off and “What a lovely ice cream – the Wedding was nice too!”

Happy days!