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Ship of Fools: Funeral of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh, St George’s Chapel
The Mystery Worshipper
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Ship of Fools: Funeral of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh, St George’s Chapel, Windsor, England
Prince Philip laid to rest amid an unswerving focus on God
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Comments
The Duke has sometimes been painted as being somewhat of a Philistine ( I can see The Organist shaking his head!!) but the fact that two works were commissioned by him seems to give the lie to that.
The musical choices gave a glimpse into the late Duke's interest in liturgical music. He also chose the organ music: he was a frequent attendee of the chapel's organ recitals, slipping into a seat in the Quire unobserved.
Overall I thought it rather impersonal and the reading out of his styles and titles at the end to be hollow in the face of death before which we are all equal.
The sight of the socially distanced 30 was so like the many funerals I have played at during this pandemic poignant in the extreme.
Is that the Dean's usual liturgical voice or a special one he employs for funerals?
At the end, the sight of the ladies nervously stepping down from their stalls in the highest of heels reminded me of the Jack Lemon line in Some Like It Hot as he tries on stilletos: "How can women walks in these things?!".
I loved everything about this service except the plump little chappie in Gilbert and Sullivan costume who read out the stuff about Orders, Garters and Knights. This made me think its time that we, as a country, grew out of our fancy dress phase. Dare I say I think Philip, as a moderniser, would agree.
You may remember the practice at Hapsburg funerals - the cortege reaches the doors to the crypt; all the titles of the deceased are read out, along with a demand that the door be opened. Of course nothing happens and the list is read again with a second demand. Still nothing happens. At the next try, the call is simply "Here is Otto, a sinner" (or something very similar), a simple request for entry and the door is opened.
That was the chirf Garter King at Arms, referred to by some members of the RF as The playing cards.
The tradition of reading out the styles and titles in such a way goes back to the time when all state appointments were rendered null and void on the death of a member of the RF: had Philip been formally Prince Consort his Chamberlain would have snapped his wand and placed the pieces on top of the coffin, as happened at the funeral of The Queen Mother.
I suspect that Philip included it in his funeral partly tongue-in-cheek, but also in full knowledge of the symbolism that there is now a new guiding pater familias in the RF, Prince Charles.
Likewise. All four singers did an amazing job.
Just saying.
I agree re the vesting however since the choir of St George’s chapel consists of men & boys it is likely that the men are lay clerks in the choir ( hence vested) and the sop as a blow-in for the occasion was togged up in black. Better her than a reedy little boy!
Fie! There's nothing sweeter than a properly trained boy soprano. The Blessed Mother saw to it that the boy Jesus was properly trained, and the tradition continues.
I daresay plans were laid, as it were, some time ago, but there was only just over a week between HRH's death and the funeral.
https://youtu.be/_tiyDiIo4dg
I've always thought it meant Radio Frequency.........!
Agree - it would have been a huge unfair strain to put on a child. If they'd wanted to use a treble sound they would have needed a small group of them.
Seriously, I do think there may be cultural differences and expectations at play. The pure tone exemplified in the video is lovely and well-controlled, but it’s not particularly popular here (the States), and I suspect the same may be true in Oz. Many people here would describe it as a woman trying to sound like a boy. Likewise, most musicians here would not describe Miriam Allen’s well-controlled vibrato as a “warble.” I thought her voice was beautiful.
Neither style is “right” or “wrong”—just different.
But of course, it was a British funeral, so there’s no reason why people shouldn’t expect the voices to meet British tastes and expectations.
Looking at the images, they would appear to be either black, or very deep purple, or else a subtle combination of the two IYSWIM.
Some might say that Eastertide white or gold might have been appropriate, but we've had that discussion before. Maybe the colour was also what HRH wanted?
The Archbishop's was blue with gold embroidered black velvet bandx and a silver and jet clasp. I think part of the set made for the funeral of Queen Victoria. It was a bit too big for him but I assume he wore it in preference to one of the newer set because it was shorter (he'sonly 5' 7").
The Dean's cope is one of a leter set made sometime after the funeral of the Duke of Windsor in 1972, partly because the victorian set are all rather short!
My bad.
Do you have a suitable link to a photo?
It goes further than that. The first time it is all the illustrious honours and titles that are read out, with the demand that the door be opened. When that doesn't work, the second time what is read out is a list of the deceased's personal achievements. In Otto's case, that included all his European endeavours. That doesn't work either. It's only the final one, Otto, a sinner seeking God's mercy that works as the Open Sesame.
I found the sombre simplicity of it all very apt and moving, much more so than a typical occasion with massed politicians etc., each in their finery and trying to elbow their way into the cameras, would have been.
I've commented elsewhere that I like the way the number limited choirs of lockdown have meant we get single adult female sopranos in place of boy trebles, particularly when there's only one voice per part.
Don't forget that he was the spouse of our beloved monarch, as well as that of over a dozen more countries.
I suspect there may be a subtle touch of purple and/or blue in these rather sombre, yet splendid, copes.
Whether or not one sees the other colours might depend on one's eyesight, or the light!