by Andrew Cesana
First, I must thank you all for your sympathetic support during my recent stay in hospital. I am feeling a lot better now and am looking forward to attending more meetings during the course of the year.
It was with sadness that the Association learned of the death of Sir Edward Heath on 17th July 2005. On Monday 25th July, I took the train to Salisbury in order to attend his funeral that afternoon at the Cathedral.
Shortly after 1.00pm, there was a queue outside the Cathedral for those wishing to attend, as stringent security checks were being carried out before entrance to the Cathedral was permitted; in all, some 1,300 people attended the funeral.
Before the Service David Halls, the Assistant Director of Music, played the Bach Prelude and Fugue in B minor BWV544, Rhosymedre by Vaughan Williams and Nimrod from Elgar’s Enigma Variations. Upon reception of Sir Edward’s coffin at the West Door, The Last Post was sounded by a trumpeter from the Honourable Artillery Company, and then the Choir sang the Burial Sentences by William Croft. During the procession, the Hymn Now thank we all our God was sung. Lord Armstrong, former Private Secretary to Sir Edward Heath, read the First Lesson from Ecclesiasticus Chapter 44 and Richard Burn the Second Lesson from 1 Corinthians, and Psalm 139 was sung by the Choir. Following the Second Hymn, All my Hope on God is Founded, the Right Reverend David Stancliffe, Bishop of Salisbury gave the address in which he described Sir Edward’s many talents. He described Sir Edward as a shy person who played his part in the life of the Cathedral Close. The Anthem was Bring us O Lord God by Sir William Harris after which followed the Prayers of Intercession led by the Precentor, the Rev. Canon Jeremy Davies. The final hymn was Eternal Father strong to save. At the Commendation, led by the Dean, the Very Rev. June Osborne, the Choir sang the Nunc Dimittis from Sir George Dyson’s Service in D. Following the Blessing, the cortège proceeded to the West Door where the Reveille was sounded. The final voluntary was Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in C minor BWV 546. Following the Service, the Committal took place privately at Salisbury Crematorium. The distinguished Guest List included Michael Howard, the Leader of the Opposition, Charles Kennedy, the Liberal Democrat Leader, Lord Baker, Lord Hurd, and two former Prime Ministers, Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven and Sir John Major. The service was most impressive, and to have seen such an array of political figures was most poignant.
Sir Edward & Andrew, Salisbury 2003
On the 8th November, 2005, a Service of Thanksgiving took place at Westminster Abbey at 11.00 a.m. On this occasion, the Prime Minister was present as well as HRH The Duke of Kent representing the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. Before the Service, Ashley Grote, the Assistant Organist, played music by Bach, Purcell, Elgar, Howells, and Vaughan Williams, the Howells pieces being two movements from his Partita composed specially for Sir Edward Heath when he was Prime Minister.
At the beginning of the Service, the Choir sang William Byrd’s Justorum Animae which was then followed by the opening hymn For All the Saints. The Dean of Westminster, the Very Rev. Dr. Wesley Carr, introduced the Service. Two readings followed, the first from Isaiah and the second from Romans read by Peter Batey and Lord Armstrong, in-between which, the Choir sang Psalm 107. The second hymn was Dear Lord and Father of mankind. A musical interlude followed with a performance of the Adagio from Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E minor op. 85 by members of the European Union Youth Orchestra with Felix Schmidt as soloist. Sir Edward had been President of the Orchestra from 1974 till 1980 and had known Felix Schmidt since 1970 when he performed at Chequers.
Lord Hurd gave the Address on this occasion, following which the Choir sang Never beaten weather sail by Parry. The prayers were read followed by the final hymn He who would valiant be. Dominic Seligman, Sir Edward’s godson read the last paragraph of his autobiography The Course of my Life. The choristers sang the Dirge for Fidele by Vaughan Williams and after the Blessing, Robert Quinney, the Sub Organist played J.S Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in E flat BWV 552. Everyone left Westminster Abbey to the sound of the bells. The service was attended by at least 2,000 people including those who had attended the funeral in July. In the same month, Sir Edward’s ashes were interred inside Salisbury Cathedral.
I attended the lunchtime Organ Recital at St. Laurence Jewry that day which was given by Catherine Ennis. Other recitals I attended included Martin Baker at St. John’s, Eltham and David Briggs at Canterbury Cathedral in August which both included improvisations. I also attended the recital by Dame Gillian Weir in October at the Royal Albert Hall.
I end this article with a quotation from Sir Edward Heath’s autobiography The Course of my Life. “Let the last words of this book express my profound thanks to all my friends for all that they have done for me, and all that they have meant to me, throughout the course of my life.”