The Colvin Memorial Service
Romsey pays its respects
Romsey awoke on 24 February to the news that its MP, Michael Colvin, had perished with his wife Nichola in a fire at their house in Tangley, near Andover.
It was fitting that a memorial service should take place at the Abbey for a man who, as well as serving as the local MP for over ten years, had taken an active role in the community as, for example, President of Romsey Show. Quite apart from any other considerations, after all, it was the only church in the area large enough to accommodate the expected number of mourners.
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TheGrenadier
Guards play
Crown Imperial by Walton |
An early request from the organizers was that the Choir should be present to lead the singing. We were naturally pleased to accept the invitation, not least the boys for whom the time - Noon on Friday 31 March - meant special leave from school. Further volume, we learned, would be added to proceedings by the Band of the Grenadier Guards. It promised to be a memorable, albeit inevitably sad, occasion.
The tension, as we stood waiting by the Vestry to process to the stalls, was palpable. The service had attracted over a thousand people – family, friends, constituents, parliamentary colleagues and other well-wishers – and in the seats normally occupied on a Sunday morning by Choir Mums were William and Ffion Hague.
The family requested Jesu, Joy of Man's desiring as the Anthem, to which we added Call to Remembrance by Farrant as an Introit: both were performed very sensitively and contrasted well with a deafening rendition of the Hymns, in which we were joined by the Band. 'Guide me O thou great Redeemer' to Cwm Rhondda and 'All People That on Earth do Dwell' to Vaughan Williams' setting of The Old Hundredth must have been deafening!
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The
Bishop of Winchester
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Betty Boothroyd, Speaker of the House of Commons, read the Second Lesson and the Bishop of Winchester, who was accompanied by the Bishops of Southampton and Basingstoke, gave the concluding Blessing. The children of the Colvins presented a most affectionate portrait of their parents in the Address but, perhaps inevitably, even they were upstaged by the grandchildren, whose remembrances were touching in their simplicity. The Order of Service was as follows:
Jeff Williams recounted, for that many days afterwards, he was being stopped in the street to be complimented on our contribution to the Service. Such a reaction is perhaps akin to that of many watching the funeral of the Princess of Wales on TV, who were struck not by the musical tribute from Elton John so much as the austere beauty of the other Abbey Choir (Westminster) in the Song for Athene by John Tavener. The Vicar wrote to us afterwards:
It was in every respect a splendid occasion, in the course of which the Choir made a very significant contribution. I felt very proud of you all and of the whole Abbey team. Thank you for being part once more of a memorable event in the long history of the Abbey.
It is surely at moments like these when we realize the service we offer, both to the Abbey and the wider communitiy, is not in vain.
Relevant links:
- The Full Order of Service
- An obituary of Michael Colvin (The Daily Telegraph, 26 February)