Reflection: 3 April 2016 - Sung Eucharist, Westminster Abbey
by Brooke Shelley

Who’d have thought that, almost 20 years after it was written, a fourth year student work would still be being performed, and in Westminster Abbey at that. Even after more than 48 hours, it still hasn’t sunk in that my mass setting, Messe sans regretz, was sung by the Choir of St James’ King Street in such a renowned building. Not something that happens every day…

We were lucky to have been joined by former members of the choir who made themselves available on the day: Elizabeth Dobbin, John Dudley, Nancy Long, David Hayton, and Lachlan Hughes.  Elizabeth Dobbin was one of the singers for whom the mass setting was originally written, so it was lovely to have her back to sing her part.


I could tell the choir and Warren were working really hard to do their best and, I must say, the result was excellent.  There were times during the service when I would have liked to have sat back and enjoyed the experience more – to bask in the reality of performing my music in the Abbey – but that wasn’t the primary reason I was there!