How mad can one be? I am over-carolled, I suppose, and it is all my own doing – or choice. It started on Friday night with our regular choir practice preparing for the Sunday Eucharist. As this Sunday is dedicated to Mary the mother of Jesus, a big quota of our hymns plus the anthem were Ave Maria's, for a protestant at heart difficult to stomach. But they were beautiful hymns, that is for sure. So was the sermon, delivered by an American priest, also an art historian, who based his sermon on a famous painting of the Annunciation by Van Eyck and had chosen the hymns accordingly. We, the choir, left the choir stalls to sit in the front pews of the church so that we could see the projected painting on the overhead screens as well as the congregation. It was quite interesting.
On Saturday morning I drove to Middachten, near Arnhem, to sing with a choir at the very romantic "Kerstmarkt" in and around the castle. The castle has been owned by the same family for generations, and looks very cosy and lived in, although the baroness, who is in her eighties, has recently moved into one of the buildings flanking the courtyard, for practical reasons. During Christmas the castle is still used by her larger family. But the week before Christmas there is a very upmarket and stylish "Christmas Market". The castle is surrounded by a moat. The first bridge leads to the forecourt, a second bridge to the house. The ornamental gardens are walled in. In the castle, which is still furnished with beautiful antique furniture, each room is decorated differently with a Christmas tree and greenery from the estate. The colours and the style differ in each room. There are nativity scenes, tables festively laid out with marvellous displays of holly and berries in the middle, the crystal glasses polished, the expensive china plates guarded on both sides by engraved silver cutlery.
The castle itself has a splendid dome in the middle, with a staircase winding up from two sides. Inside, the dome is decorated with intricate plaster figurines and garlands. In the buildings on both sides of the courtyard, former coach houses and stables, there are stands with artistic displays of silverware, finely carved wooden Christmas decorations, woven woollen scarves, sheepskin gloves and slippers, beautiful hand bound books. In one of the courts mulled wine is served, and there are seats around an open fire. We came to sing carols. Fortunately this year it wasn't so cold, but nevertheless we had fortified ourselves with woollen scarves, thick soled boots and of course some glasses of steaming hot mulled wine. We sang three times, each time for some thirty minutes, which means 10-13 carols; the first time outside in the courtyard, the smoke of the open fire tickling our vocal cords. The other two sessions were in the castle, on top of the staircase, on the round gallery landing. We had the use of the back stairs, the stairs for the servants I guess, to go up to the first floor, closed to the public, where we were given the use of one of the huge, and ice cold bedrooms. From there we emerged unto the round gallery. People visiting the castle would listen at the bottom of the stairs. By the time we finished, the sun set as a bright orange ball. We were given a choice of food in the restaurant in the cellars, the former kitchens. The choice is limited, but it is fabulous food. Especially their game and mushroom pies – game from the estate – is famous. It was an exciting and very special afternoon. Most of us left loaded with goodies: game and wild boar patés, jams made from fruit grown in the castle grounds, presents for friends and artistically decorated baubles painted from the inside. By the time we left it was getting dark and the castle could have been cut out of a book of fairy tales, with the illuminated Christmas trees flanking the entrance doors, and all the lights along the railings of the bridges and in various other Christmas trees. There were people with torches giving guided tours of the grounds and gardens.
But we had no time to join a group, as we had to get on to our next venue, a ecumenical carol service in Arnhem. The Lutheran Church is hidden away in the inner city of Arnhem, the main entrance in a narrow street. No parking facilities except in multi story car parks, which were extremely difficult to find. Once you missed one – and the directions were dreadful – you had to go round and round and make a huge detour to get to it again. So some of us went round in circles several times and completely missed the practice. The walls of the church – or the buildings hiding the church from view - would have fallen like the walls of Jericho if we had lived in Biblical times!
As you can see in this picture, when driving on the main road the church is hidden from view by some ugly modern buildings.
The church was unexpectedly big and very interesting. It was built at the end of the 19th century, as a Lutheran church. It has very old oak pews, round ones for the choir, polished to a shine. the church was lit for the occasion by candles placed on Christmas wreaths hanging from the ceiling at regular intervals. And the acoustics were good which was a bonus as by now we all are the worse for wear and pretty tired. But we were given a warm welcome with buns and fruit, coffee and tea. So they fed us well. It was a full church and we only heard very enthusiastic comments afterwards. So it was well worth all the effort.
We did not leave till half past nine and the 150 kilometre drive through rain, sleet and wind on this dark night took almost two hours.
The next morning, Sunday morning, I sang in The Hague, as I mentioned. Immediately after the service I drove to Haarlem for an extra practice for the next two carol services, on Wednesday and Christmas Eve. It was planned to last from 1.30-3.30, but we did not finish till 5, a time at which I was supposed to be at a dinner somewhere else. But by now – except for two short nights in bed – I had been on my feet singing for 48 hours, so I regretfully cancelled the dinner invitation. Fortunately I was not the only guest, so I did not ruin the party.
I hear carols in my dreams, I hum carols, I think in carols. Is it carolitis? Three more services to go. And what is worse, I may do it again next year.
Last but not least here is a wonderful carol which I will not sing in any of the services this year. It is by Sweelinck, Hodie Christus Natus est, a carol full of joy.
And for some very different Christmas music which I have liked from the first time I heard it as a teenager, a part from Corelli's Concerto per la Notte di Natale.
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