What a tease!  This Mass by Gounod, his St Cecilia Mass (she is the Patron Saint of Music) really catches us singers unawares much of the time.  The notes are largely straightforward.  The words – well, they are not the easiest to read in our scores, even though they are familiar.  But the expression markings – the pianos and and the fortes and so-on, well, they can be quite unexpected.  Every movement starts quietly, even the Gloria.  And then most of them move up and down the loudness scale time and time again, often up and down in the space of just a couple of bars.  The Sanctus is the most interesting movement.  It’s as though we start in the celestial darkness, far away from the throne of the Almighty.  We seem to move towards the throne in stages, the light gradually increasing, until there is a burst of light – and accompanying sound – when we finally are ushered into the presence of the Almighty.  It’s great theatre – very dramatic – and the music matches the ideas perfectly.  I can’t wait to sing it with the orchestra accompanying us!