On Saturday 22 June, seven members of the Abbey Senior Choir, from Lower V to Upper VI, joined Reading Minster’s choir in their Petertide ordination service, over which the Rt Revd Olivia Graham, Bishop of Reading, presided.

Joining with the Minster’s male lower voices and another soprano from the parish of Theale, we sang four hymns, plainsong, and four anthems, including Byrd’s Ave Verum Corpus, Robinson’s Jesu, grant me this I pray, Harris’ The Holy Eucharist, and To this Temple, composed by Ian Hillier, the organist and Master of Choristers at the Minster.

It was a really valuable experience learning how services worked in different churches and choirs, including processing while singing and singing with both the organ and piano. It was also a real honour to be part of the newly ordained priests’ ceremony as they prepare to serve their own churches in the diocese. The full ordination, which was live streamed, can be watched here.

I am so grateful to have had that opportunity. I’m not sure I’ll ever get over singing a solo in front of Bishop Olivia, (even if my voice has never been more shaky!!)

Grace, Lower VI