Spital Sermon 2023

The Spital Sermon (which takes its name from the Hospital of St Mary Without Bishopsgate) has been preached every year since the late 14th century. Since the end of World War II, it has been preached in the church of St Lawrence Jewry (next to the Guildhall). Pupils of Christ’s Hospital and King Edward’s, Witley (our sister school) alternate in providing a reader and the choir for the service.

This year, it was our turn to provide the choir, meaning that members of the Schola Cantorum were, depending on individual views, prevented/saved from running the Steeplechase. Unusually, the service this year was in the afternoon (it was hastily rearranged at short notice following the Lord Mayor’s receiving of a summons from the King at the time originally scheduled!). After arriving in time for lunch and an impromptu competition as to who could manage to eat the most sausages and/or mini custard tarts (a competition possibly won by the acting director of music!), Schola rehearsed and then performed Maurice Duruflé’s Ubi Caritas and Alex Hodgkinson’s Founder’s Collect. The choir sang with their customary skill and style, efficiently rising to the challenges of singing in a new building with limited rehearsal time. Special mention must go to Harriet (GR/Year 13) for her nerveless solo at the end of the Hodgkinson and to Christopher (UF/Year 10)) for his accomplished rendition on the organ of George Thalben-Ball’s Elegy before the service.
EBHJ