BBC Radio 3 Carol Competition

[Pulcinella]

If it is to be a congregation hymn is this such a good idea as we have no clue at this stage whether we will be allowed congregations by Christmas?

I was wondering that, too.

[esmondo]

As a bit of a composer (had a few things performed, never made much money from it, have a day job) I've always looked forward to this competition and have entered it several times. It's an interesting exercise, and it's always fascinating to hear what different people will make of the same text.

I'm disappointed by its dumbing-down this year, and I'm pretty sure all previous entrants will be too. Of course, to the average listener a carol is just a nice tune, but what interests me is the possibility of harmonic adventure and interplay of vocal lines.

You might say (and several people have in this thread) that some of the results aren't real carols, but I beg to differ. Take Warlock's "Bethlehem Down" for instance - your average congregation would murder it, but a reasonably well-trained choir can handle the harmonic wanderings and dissonances and produce a thing of great beauty.

Having said that, another of my favourites (also mentioned earlier in the thread) is Poston's "Christ the Apple Tree", which uses exclusively the white notes but still manages to be beguiling.

One last thing re the 2019 competition - the Dharker poem was completely unsuitable. For a start it doesn't scan consistently, and as someone else pointed out it's too long. There was no way you could get 7 verses into 4 and a half minutes, and I was a bit miffed that most of the entries exceeded that time, because that was one of the reasons why I didn't send my entry in.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Well, let's put it this way: when it comes to composition I'm not even self-respecting and I wouldn't go anywhere near this. I'm not having anyone else tell me how to arrange my rubbish.

I did think about sending in an entry, complete with appropriate harmonies, with a copyright embargo banning any tinkering by a third party.

[cloughie]

I did think about sending in an entry, complete with appropriate harmonies, with a copyright embargo banning any tinkering by a third party.

Maybe the organisers are going to arrange it for a sextet as the max who can sing in church to a masked congregation, who will not be allowed to sing and the six parts will also be made available via the Radio 3 website for listeners to sing along a Petroc on a chosen date close to Christmas!

[Pulcinella]

Maybe the organisers are going to arrange it for a sextet as the max who can sing in church to a masked congregation, who will not be allowed to sing and the six parts will also be made available via the Radio 3 website for listeners to sing along a Petroc on a chosen date close to Christmas!

Or maybe it needs a humming chorus/refrain that everyone can join in.
I think that that might be allowed, since we can't sing aloud.

[Vox Humana]

Or maybe it needs a humming chorus/refrain that everyone can join in.
I think that that might be allowed, since we can't sing aloud.

I don't see why not - so long as the parts are marked 'con sordino'.

[cloughie]

Or maybe it needs a humming chorus/refrain that everyone can join in.
I think that that might be allowed, since we can't sing aloud.

And of course if masked, who’ll know who’s humming?

[Padraig]

And of course if masked, who’ll know who’s humming?

You mean 'mumming'?

[oddoneout]

And of course if masked, who’ll know who’s humming?

An unremarked benefit of distancing and masks - increased tolerance of the annual bath brigade...

[Nick Armstrong]

we've also entered a whole new world of patronising dumbing down, because all they want from "us" is the melody line. The rest will be sorted out by one of the BBC's chums. The idea that composition is restricted to just the tune is such a mind-bogglingly naïve concept.

Crikey, the bar is low isn’t it...

This is the text of a tweet by “BBC Arts” today:

Reckon you could write a great Christmas song? @BBCRadio3 is looking for tunes that are catchy, memorable and creative.

[Simon Biazeck]

Times change, I suppose, although it seems to me that critical acumen in the composition of choral music has been (irreparably?) degraded. The thought that Howells's 'A Spotless Rose', Leighton's 'Lulla, Lulla' and Warlock's 'Bethlehem Down' (to name just a few) would probably be thrown out at the initial stages say it all.

Time for an alternative quest, I think. Competition-wise.

SBz

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Times change, I suppose, although it seems to me that critical acumen in the composition of choral music has been (irreparably?) degraded.

In the real world, composers only normally call upon help for two reasons:
1. Shortage of time with a rushed commission such as a film score
2. Being out of one’s depth, like Paul McCartney in Liverpool Oratorio.

In both cases, the composer does so willingly, and not because an out-of-touch, patronising and jumped up corporation taking over control.

[cloughie]

Well, here we are again, but this time it's different, in that this year, it's to be a congregation hymn, so perhaps needs to be simpler in character.

Fair enough.

But we've also entered a whole new world of patronising dumbing down, because all they want from "us" is the melody line. The rest will be sorted out by one of the BBC's chums. The idea that composition is restricted to just the tune is such a mind-bogglingly naïve concept. Of course it doesn't surprise me in the least. I wouldn't expect Suzie and the rest to allow anything else. WIll any self-respecting composer, amateur or otherwise, want to be part of this?

...and in fact don’t need to write anything at all - just think of a tune and sing the first verse, record on your tablet and send!

[Ein Heldenleben]

I think you need to bear in mind that the ability to harmonise and score a melody is both elitist and exclusionary ...
A music teacher tells me that you don’t even need to do four part harmony for music A level now.
It’s enough to make you weep...

[Simon Biazeck]

In the real world, composers only normally call upon help for two reasons:
1. Shortage of time with a rushed commission such as a film score
2. Being out of one’s depth, like Paul McCartney in Liverpool Oratorio.

In both cases, the composer does so willingly, and not because an out-of-touch, patronising and jumped up corporation taking over control.

???