Happy Birthday

Tonight, I attended the End of Year Concert organized by the Diocesan Sacred Music Commission at the Cathedral. It was a lovely birthday party for me. Only Popes and kings could enjoy such a private audience with organists and vocalists.
Before the party began, I took out my personal prayer book to say the vespers once more. I am very glad to say these prayers to praise God in the Cathedral. Then the party began. Fr. Peter Choi, the Commission Director, made a welcoming speech, saying that it was a family gathering tonight. It was not a concert as such. We were praying to God rather than performing. What a good start! Then he led the opening prayer and the congregation sang the Lord's Prayer written by the late Fr. Paul Lau Wing Yiu. The program started with organ music.
Isabel Kwan, my ex-student in Shung Tak played Prière À Notre-Dame by L. Boëllmann. The organ emitted its full effects and the acoustics of the Cathedral sustained each note to its full. Yes, without the support of such an architectural edifice, any hundred-thousand electronic organ will only be a white elephant. Then came the Toccata and Fugue in D minor by J.S. Bach. Isabel and the other organists are Year 2 students of the Organ Course.
Gloria Laus and Salve Regina were sung by a choir made up of students from the Latin Course, Italian Course, German Course, French Course and Gregorian Music Course. Erminia and Wulstan were among them. Then soloists from the Vocal Course, sang the Prayer of St. Francis by Sebastian Temple and Panis Angelicus by César Franck. It was beautiful and soothing.
The Harmony Course students wrote up a song circle of the Fourteen Stations of the Cross. It was their première. The choral group was made up of three sopranos, three altos, two tenors and two basses. They were accompanied by a violinist and an organist. Erminia sang the soprano, while Wulstan bass. The styles of individual songs varied. Some were pretty sophisticated and some naive. You could even detect a little fleeting trace of pop themes in one or two songs. Anyway, I enjoyed and meditated on them. What a birthday audience! My student played organ music for me. My wife and my son sang me a première. What else can I expect from life!
Unfortunately, my blood sugar level began to sink. Reluctantly, I walked up to Fr. Choi to bid him farewell. Fr. Lanfranco Fedrigotti was sitting next to him. He shook my hand warmly. Goodbye.

My Advocate, I heartily thank You for such a lovely evening. I regret that I was only able to enjoy halfway through. Nevertheless, it was a wonderful birthday present. For days ahead, allow me to work the whole way through. Happy Birthday.