I felt very privileged to be in the choir stalls of Salisbury Cathedral on Tuesday, July 2 for a quite remarkable Evensong service, “Evening Songs”.

For this, members of the Cathedral choir were joined by young people from Exeter House Special School and the Able House co-farmers project.

Under the inspiring direction of La Folia’s Musical Director Howard Moody they presented a service containing all the elements of the traditional much loved Evensong but wonderfully enriched by the words and sounds created by the young people themselves.

The very talented La Folia team had worked with young people from the school and the Able Hands team over months to create their own responses to the familiar words.

So the Magnificat – My Soul doth magnify the Lord - began “Powerful voice, exploding inside Makes us bigger when we are”.

And they were truly powerful voices – to see the young people carried along by the music and sense of awe was truly wonderful.

A highlight was the anthem “Let All the World in every corner Sing”, the words of George Herbert in the Vaughan Williams arrangement, during which enjoyment, pride and delight could be seen in every face.

In the words of the young people themselves “Oh Yeah!”

Anne Trevett

Lower Bemerton

Send letters by email to newsdesk@salisburyjournal.co.uk or by post to Editor, Salisbury Journal, Suite B (Ground Floor), Milford House, Milford Street, Salisbury, SP1 2BP.