Notre Dame and Campra

[Catherine Bott]

Glad you liked it. Stand by for more from Antony Pitts - the weekend of 11/12 May has been given the grand title of "Polyphony weekend" and the Sunday programme will be an extended interview with Antony about the work of Tonus Peregrinus. Haven't recorded it yet, but it's bound to be interesting. The Saturday show is in the can, though - an inspiring conversation about the pioneering work of the Clerkes of Oxenford with founder David Wulstan and his former student (who's gone on to do great things herself in that field as an editor and singer) Sally Dunkley. A little like "The Reunion" on Radio 4, this one, and a reminder of why I like working in radio.

Oh, and I think a Richard the Third programme is in the offing, as discussed on another thread - Lucie's down to do it, so I don't know anything more.

Happy listening!

[ardcarp]

It's easy to forget that before The Clerkes there weren't many (any?) adult groups around with a 'straight' sound able to tackle the 16th/17th cent repertory with any clarity. (No doubt someone will tell me otherwise!) I think our own Chris Watson's father was a member of The Clerkes.

[jean]

The Renaissance Singers were founded by Michael Howard in 1944.

[ardcarp]

Thanks Jean! Then there were The Golden Age Singers (Margaret Field-Hyde, John Whitworth, Rene Soames and Gordon Clinton...plus others?) who sang the repertory. Very worthy recordings made of (then) lesser-known early music, but not quite The Clerkes!

[jean]

Nobody sang it as high as they did (nobody does now!)

[gamba]

Hey, Vints and Caliban - how do you think the Herreweghe matches the Gardiner? There is something about the latter version which I find truly wonderful....the opening Introit is spellbinding for me. I think many years ago when Gardiner gave it a Proms premier, he also did the Fauré Requiem in the second half of the programme. Must have been an interesting programme.

MickyD,

Am mystified by your comment on the Faure in the second part of the programme.

I made a DVD copy of a TV transmission of a Prom with JEG on 15/07/07, the first half of which was the Campra ' Messe de Requiem.' The second half was devoted to African dancers & an orchestra formed from the youngsters in Soweto who had been tutored by a woman viola player from the EBS, the subject of an earlier & quite remarkable documentary film. The music was by Rameau - a fantastic occasion, with this DVD becoming one of my most treasured possessions.

Of course I could be losing my memory but in this case wrote all details down at the time.

gamba

[MickyD]

Hello Gamba,

Fear not, your memory serves you well! In fact I should have been more specific - I was referring to the very first time JEG gave the Campra Requiem at the Proms way back in the 1970s, coupling it with the Fauré. At that time I believe it was just the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra, and no period instruments! He later recorded the piece with period instruments for Erato.

And I too remember that Rameau Prom you are talking about - it was wonderful, really captured the spirit of his dances.