Yesterday, Saturday, I dashed up to Hereford to conduct the wedding of the daughter of good friends of mine. Unlike here in Cardiff, the weather was beautiful and Belmont Abbey looked wonderful. However, the crashing tones of Widor's Toccata were hardly fading on the organ than I was back in a taxi to the station and home to get ready for evening Mass at St Paul's.
By late evening I was ready to relax, and turned on BBC2 to see Coldplay at Glastonbury. I've listened to Coldplay more than any other band in the first decade of this century. I wasn't disappointed last night - they were on top form, serving up all the favourites, mixed with new songs from their forthcoming album. Particularly wonderful was their sequence of three encores. "Clocks" got 'em going, then they moved into their anthem "Fix You" and finally a new song "Every Teardrop a Waterfall". Fantastic - and I couldn't help noticing the parallels with religious occasions like pilgrimages. Crowds with a common purpose, music full of feeling, an overwhelming sense of community. Chris Martin even repented at one point of having just made a mistake. I love many kinds of music - always have. This was sheer enjoyment for the thousands and thousands who were there - and for me. Fr M approves.
To catch highlights of Coldplay at Glastonbury follow this link to iPlayer. Put it on full screen - and turn up the volume. The three encores are at about 29:00.
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