Florilegium and the death of Prince Henry

[doversoul1]

Saturday
Lucie Skeaping presents a profile of the Baroque group Florilegium with their director Ashley Solomon and takes a look at the character and nature of the baroque dance suite.
[…]
Lucie joins Ashley Solomon for a look at the group's work and ethos, and together they explore a major form of the baroque era, the dance suite, in preparation for the launch of the 2013 NCEM/Radio 3 Young Composers' Award.
*** Lucie Skeaping appears on BBC Radio 2's Jools Holland show this coming Monday, 5th November at 23:00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01ns0cb

***Is this going up or down in the world…?

Sunday
400 years ago Prince Henry, the elder son of James I of England, died at the age of 18 after contracting typhoid he developed after an ill-advised dip in the River Thames. There was a national outpouring of grief and many composers wrote musical tributes, including several settings of the text 'When David Heard'. Catherine Bott introduces some of this music, performed by the vocal ensemble Gallicantus and lutenist Elizabeth Kenny, under director Gabriel Crouch, recorded earlier this year at the York Early Music Festival

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01nph6t

I was going to say that this must be a repeat as I am sure there was a programme on the death of Prince Henry but as this was recorded live, it must be new and it will be good (the BBC Singers did try on Afternoon on 3…)

CD Review
Andrew has gone all over Lawrence Zazzo: THREE recordings in one programme! Will be interesting to hear Zazzo's Cesare.

[aeolium]

Thanks for this info, doversoul. Just shows how a swim in the Thames can change the course of history. If Henry had survived, no Charles I, perhaps no civil war, Cromwell, etc etc...

Looking forward to the ENO Julius Caesar tomorrow night on Opera on 3.

[ardcarp]

If Henry had survived, no Charles I, perhaps no civil war, Cromwell, etc etc...

.....or maybe if a butterfly's wingbeat in the Amazon rain forest had......

But I'm looking forward to the prog.

[ardcarp]

PS These 'themed' concert programmes are becoming increasingly popular, especially with early music groups. I thought this one rang a bell. It's been visited twice by a rather good choir, Counterpoint, based in Exeter:

http://www.counterpoint.org.uk/history-2012.html

[Sir Velo]

I was going to say that this must be a repeat as I am sure there was a programme on the death of Prince Henry but as this was recorded live, it must be new

Doversoul, I think you may be thinking of this Music Feature programme broadcast first in 2010.

[doversoul1]

Doversoul, I think you may be thinking of this Music Feature programme broadcast first in 2010.

Sir Velo
Thank you for the link. I am almost sure it was a EMS programme but seeing that the disc of the title

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Signum/SIGCD210

was released in 2010, it could well have been this programme.

Things got in the way for today’s programme. I must catch up later. I enjoyed Florilegium on Saturday.

Just in case: the link to The National Centre for Early Music Composers Award 2013.

http://www.ncem.co.uk/?idno=996

[ardcarp]

All I can say is Wow. Well, not quite all. Gallicantus gave us, IMHO, some of the best consort singing I've heard. The singers were all the usual suspects (i.e. members or directors of other well known pro ensembles) but the performances were beautifully shaped and the often difficult balance between blend and individuality in voices was just perfect. There was fantastic control of dynamics, impeccable tuning (of course) and above all expressiveness to suit the emotional mood of the subject matter. Our very own Chris Watson got the show under way with an exquisite account of Ramsey's What teares dear prince...and I wonder if Chris could chip in and answer a couple of questions? The show was billed as being recorded at the York EMF, but there was no hint of audience noise, no applause and engineered sound better than one might expect from a 'live' recording. Did the Beeb record the programme separately...or was it just a very quiet audience! And it was unusual to do the Tomkins When David Heard with countertenor on top...and transposed down a bit. Any reason? Anyway, this EMS is not one to miss, so do have a listen.

[Chris Watson]

Hi Ardcarp. Thanks! It's a wonderful collection of music, and it gives us something other than a New World Election to celebrate on Tuesday. Having said that, I'm in the US and will be in the swing state of Ohio on Tuesday so I will be commemorating the Prince at the same time as watching the locals vote...
The concert was recorded live in the Early Music Centre, and it was sold out - unusually quiet audience! The Tomkins is great fun to sing at that pitch. I can't now remember why we decided to do it, but I'll check!

[adrianwall]

400 years ago today.

As was hinted at in the programme, it is anything but clear that the "When David heard" settings were written in Prince Henry's memory. For more details, see http://tinyurl.com/cpcjlqq and http://tinyurl.com/c8mtm88

You may be interested in a concert of music written in the wake of Henry's death, this Sunday, 7.30pm in Crowland Abbey. Full details here: http://www.concert-diary.com/concert...-Divers-Voyces

[ardcarp]

Do Divers Voices perform in wet suits.

[yorks_bass]

The concert was recorded live in the Early Music Centre, and it was sold out - unusually quiet audience! The Tomkins is great fun to sing at that pitch. I can't now remember why we decided to do it, but I'll check!

I have a feeling that it was simply because we could! Different take and all that. I'll vouch for the quiet audience - was full to the point of standing.