PENICUIK VAULTS SINGING

Inspired by the Taizé Community

Roger Shutz came to the village of Taizé in Burgundy in 1940 with plans to found a monastery. The son of a Swiss Protestant father and a French Catholic mother, Brother Roger harboured Jewish refugees during the military occupation of France and founded the Taizé Community with a mission to reconcile denominations and promote dialogue and peace. The brothers commit for life to material and spiritual sharing, to celibacy, and to great simplicity. Today, the community is made up of over a hundred brothers from various backgrounds and many nations. At the heart of daily life in Taizé is prayer together. The brothers live by their own work and don’t accept gifts or donations for themselves. Some live in small groups – fraternities - among the very poor. Over the years, thousands of young adults from many countries have found their way to Taizé to take part in meetings of prayer and reflection. The harmony of the Taizé approach to worship, with spaces of silence contained by simple repetitive chants, can open a source of refreshment from deep within.

Taize Penicuik

Around Edinburgh in ancient Vaults

Unconnected with the Taizé community, ours is an informal group that sings unaccompanied every Sunday in and around Edinburgh in ancient vaults that lend themselves to the sound of simple vocal harmonies. About twelve years ago in Penicuik some Friends and others familiar with silent worship began meeting in each other's houses to share some of the harmonic Taizé chants. These small gatherings became a weekly highlight and someone suggested we bring the timeless chants to the damp silence of the crypt at Rosslyn Chapel close by. The effect was inspiring. Singing together in such powerfully enclosed stone space gradually became the mainspring of the group’s time together, leading us to seek out other places with similarly sympathetic sound and silence.

For over a decade now we have been singing every Sunday afternoon in rotation in the medieval spaces of Rosslyn Chapel crypt, Crichton Chapel, Seton Chapel, Dunfermline Palace undervault and Craigmillar Castle Great Hall, with permission and encouragement from Rosslyn Chapel Trust, Crichton Church Trust, and Historic Scotland. The group also meets for evening singing in Penicuik garden houses. During the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2006 and 2007 we sang in St Mark’s, Castle Terrace, and some of us also in Old St Pauls.

People come and go, the vaults and the singing are our constancy. Our small group continues over the years, sharing an affection for the five medieval spaces mentioned above and other cool, damp ancient places which have wonderful acoustics and qualities of silence for the meditative chants we sing. People attach to our group from different religious backgrounds and from none. We are neither directed nor trained, and only one or two of us can read music. We listen to each other and to the surrounding space. Our choice of chants, the way they begin and end, and the silences that follow them all come from within.

The spaces that we sing in are special. Three are the purpose-built Collegiate Chapels endowed by prominent Scots, Crichton, Seton and St Clair, more than 500 years ago so that singers would sing for their souls for all time. Rosslyn Chapel crypt's cool dampness, scalloped vaulting and recesses produce a depth of sound and silence to calm some of the media-led busyness of visitors above. Crichton Chapel, in sight of Crichton castle and carefully restored by its own small Trust, has a high vault and a wonderful ambience, and is clearly made for voices. Seton Chapel, simple, empty and airy, has an approach by woodland walk and walled garden that seems to prepare the soul. Craigmillar castle's great hall is a solid high-sounding stone chamber reached by a winding stair and overlooking the south of the city and the flanks of Arthur's Seat. Dunfermline's acutely acoustic tiny palace undervault is approached across a stone bridge, down a tightly winding stone stairwell, beside lawn and peacock and finally by threading among ruined foundations. Birdsong is never far away in these places, except in the dark hours of night. Not one of them is easy to reach. Unlocked at the furthest part of a building, or at the end of a long road, a path, a garden, a stairway, they can refresh our spirit with peace and harmony if we open our hearts to share it.

Penicuik Taize Vaults Singing around Edinburgh - Rosslyn Chapel Crypt and Crichton Collegiate Church

Penicuik Taize Vaults Singing Edinburgh - Craigmillar Great Hall

Dates have followed this same sequence year after year after year

4 January 2009 Rosslyn Chapel Crypt every four weeks throughout the year

11 January Craigmillar Castle Great Hall every four weeks throughout the year

18 January Dunfermline Palace undervault every four weeks through the winter

25 January Crichton Collegiate Church every four weeks throughout the year

1 February 2009 Rosslyn Chapel Crypt every four weeks throughout the year

8 February Craigmillar Castle Great Hall every four weeks throughout the year

15 February Dunfermline Palace undervault every four weeks through the winter

22 February Crichton Collegiate Church every four weeks throughout the year

1 March 2009 Rosslyn Chapel Crypt every four weeks throughout the year

8 March Craigmillar Castle Great Hall every four weeks throughout the year

15 March Dunfermline Palace undervault every four weeks through the winter

22 March Crichton Collegiate Church every four weeks throughout the year

29 March Rosslyn Chapel Crypt every four weeks throughout the year

5 April 2009 Craigmillar Castle Great Hall every four weeks throughout the year

12 Apr Crichton Collegiate Church we sing here -out of order –on Easter Sunday, at request of the Crichton Trust

19 Apr Seton Collegiate Church our first visit of 2009 delayed till now for Crichton’s sake!

26 Apr Rosslyn Chapel Crypt every four weeks throughout the year

3 May 2009 Craigmillar Castle Great Hall every four weeks throughout the year

10 May Seton Collegiate Church every four weeks through the summer

17 May Crichton Collegiate Church every four weeks throughout the year

24 May Rosslyn Chapel Crypt every four weeks throughout the year

31May Craigmillar Castle Great Hall every four weeks throughout the year

7 June 2009 Seton Collegiate Church every four weeks through the summer

14 June Crichton Collegiate Church every four weeks throughout the year

21 June Rosslyn Chapel Crypt every four weeks throughout the year

28 June Craigmillar Castle Great Hall every four weeks throughout the year

5 July 2009 Seton Collegiate Church every four weeks through the summer

12 July Crichton Collegiate Church every four weeks throughout the year

19 July Rosslyn Chapel Crypt every four weeks throughout the year

26 July Craigmillar Castle Great Hall every four weeks throughout the year

2 August 2009 Seton Collegiate Church every four weeks through the summer

9 Aug Crichton Collegiate Church every four weeks throughout the year

16 Aug Rosslyn Chapel Crypt every four weeks throughout the year

23 Aug Craigmillar Castle Great Hall every four weeks throughout the year

30 Aug Seton Collegiate Church every four weeks through the summer

6 September 2009 Crichton Collegiate Church every four weeks throughout the year

13 Sept Aug Rosslyn Chapel Crypt every four weeks throughout the year

20 Sept Craigmillar Castle Great Hall every four weeks throughout the year

27 Sept Seton Collegiate Church every four weeks through the summer

4 October 2009 Crichton Collegiate Church every four weeks throughout the year

11 Oct Aug Rosslyn Chapel Crypt every four weeks throughout the year

18 Oct Craigmillar Castle Great Hall every four weeks throughout the year

25 Oct Dunfermline Palace undervault every four weeks through the winter

1 November 2009 Crichton Collegiate Church every four weeks throughout the year

8 Nov Rosslyn Chapel Crypt every four weeks throughout the year

15 Nov Craigmillar Castle Great Hall every four weeks throughout the year

22 Nov Dunfermline Palace undervault every four weeks through the winter

29 Nov Crichton Collegiate Church every four weeks throughout the year

6 December 2009 Rosslyn Chapel Crypt every four weeks throughout the year

13 Dec Craigmillar Castle Great Hall every four weeks throughout the year

20 Dec Dunfermline Palace undervault cancelled -access difficult in bad weather

27 Dec Crichton Collegiate Church cancelled -access difficult in bad weather

3 January 2010 Rosslyn Chapel Crypt cancelled -access difficult in bad weather

10 January Craigmillar Castle Great Hall cancelled -access difficult in bad weather

17 January Dunfermline Palace undervault cancelled -access difficult in bad weather

24 January Crichton Collegiate Church every four weeks throughout the year

31 January Rosslyn Chapel Crypt every four weeks throughout the year

7 February 2010 Craigmillar Castle Great Hall every four weeks throughout the year

14 February Dunfermline Palace undervault every four weeks through the winter

21 February Crichton Collegiate Church every four weeks throughout the year

28 February Rosslyn Chapel Crypt every four weeks throughout the year

7 March 2010 Craigmillar Castle Great Hall every four weeks throughout the year

14 March Dunfermline Palace undervault every four weeks through the winter

21 March Crichton Collegiate Church every four weeks throughout the year

28 March Rosslyn Chapel Crypt every four weeks throughout the year

4 April 2010 Craigmillar Castle Great Hall every four weeks throughout the year

11 April Seton Collegiate Church every four weeks through the summer

18 April Crichton Collegiate Church every four weeks throughout the year

25 April Rosslyn Chapel Crypt every four weeks throughout the year

2 May 2010 Craigmillar Castle Great Hall every four weeks throughout the year

9 May Seton Collegiate Church every four weeks through the summer

16 May Crichton Collegiate Church every four weeks throughout the year

23 May Rosslyn Chapel Crypt every four weeks throughout the year

30 May 2010 Craigmillar Castle Great Hall every four weeks throughout the year

6 June 2010 Seton Collegiate Church every four weeks through the summer

13 June Crichton Collegiate Church every four weeks throughout the year

20 June Rosslyn Chapel Crypt every four weeks throughout the year

27 June Craigmillar Castle Great Hall every four weeks throughout the year

4 July 2010 Seton Collegiate Church every four weeks through the summer

11 July Crichton Collegiate Church every four weeks throughout the year

18 July Rosslyn Chapel Crypt every four weeks throughout the year

25 July Craigmillar Castle Great Hall every four weeks throughout the year

1 August 2010 Seton Collegiate Church every four weeks through the summer

8 August Crichton Collegiate Church every four weeks throughout the year

15 August Rosslyn Chapel Crypt every four weeks throughout the year

22 August Craigmillar Castle Great Hall every four weeks throughout the year

29 August 2010 Seton Collegiate Church every four weeks through the summer

Seton in its garden is only open in summer ; in winter Dunfermline Palace’s marvellous acoustic undervault takes its place

Times usually 3.15-4.30

But in winter (November to March) we sing earlier at Craigmillar 2.45-4.00 & Dunfermline 2.30-3.30 because they close at dusk

Note that Rosslyn & Crichton remain 3.15-4.30 all the year round.

St Triduana’s Chapel, Restalrig, is a favourite damp vault for our voices and special for its ophthalmic associations with St Treadwell’s northern hermitage at Papa Westray. We enjoy singing there by special arrangement, usually on weekdays.

Contact: Roger Kelly, Valleyfield House, 17 High Street, Penicuik EH26 8HS tel 01968 677854 roger.kelly1@virgin.net