Gibbons, Byrd and Tye..live tonight at 7.30

[ardcarp]

..on R3 from The Cadogan Hall, with Fretwork and teh BBCS.
(Also a work by Thea Musgrave)

[doversoul1]

20.50
Are you listening.... (I have)?

[DracoM]

Fragmentarily. Cries of London?

[Nick Armstrong]

Oh dear. I switched off during the Byrd. I just don't like the sound the BBC Singers make, I'm sorry to say.

[ardcarp]

Are you listening.

Couldn't bring myself to. I just don't know why they do this repertoire when it's just not their scene.

[EdgeleyRob]

I don't normally listen to this kind of stuff,but I did.
It was interesting.

[kernelbogey]

Oh dear. I switched off during the Byrd. I just don't like the sound the BBC Singers make, I'm sorry to say.

On my way to an event I heard most of the first item, and have to agree with Cali. Too many voices, too much vibrato, I thought.

[jean]

I only switched on in time for the Byrd, and thought they did it well. When I heard the Gibbons on iPlayer, I was disappointed for all the usual reasons.

[doversoul1]

I very much enjoyed the interval.

[rauschwerk]

Since the BBC has only the one full-time choir, then they are bound to give them a wide repertoire to perform. Should they then sack them and use only freelance singers? In an ideal world I suppose the BBC would have two choirs, one of which would specialise in early music. Dream on...

[doversoul1]

Since the BBC has only the one full-time choir, then they are bound to give them a wide repertoire to perform. Should they then sack them and use only freelance singers? In an ideal world I suppose the BBC would have two choirs, one of which would specialise in early music. Dream on...

I’m sorry but I don’t quite follow the logic. Do you mean for the benefit of the Singers or the audience? As far as I am aware, none of the BBC orchestras seem to be inclined to perform anything pre-classical but the world isn’t really any poorer.

Yes, you (one) could argue that there is no such thing as the right or the best way to perform Byrd but all the same….

[rauschwerk]

Do you mean for the benefit of the Singers or the audience?

The audience.

[DracoM]

They're not 'bound to' do anything with the BBCS.

What seems counter-intuitive is to programme material for the BBCS in which there are readily available a dozen and more genre-specialist ensembles, when the BBCS#s own unrivalled specialism is manifestly elsewhere.

Seemed almost perverse. Madrigal-like late 16th / early 17th century repertoire is just not their strength, and I fear it showed last night.

[rauschwerk]

They're not 'bound to' do anything with the BBCS.

What seems counter-intuitive is to programme material for the BBCS in which there are a dozen and more genre-specialist ensembles readily available, when the their own unrivalled specialism is manifestly elsewhere. Seemed almost perverse.

Yes, but then they'd have to pay the BBCS to take time off and spend money on another ensemble.

[DracoM]

Oh, so it really IS to keep the BBCS in work, irrespective of how well or how indifferently they may fare in the programmes?
Hmm.