Stopped in my tracks this AM to listen to Anthony Payne's setting, broadcast in a recording by Jane Manning. Good to learn that AP is a steam enthusiast
, and his evocation of a steam loco was IMO discreet but pleasing.
So all very good right up to the very last syllable, the ditto of 'Oxfordshire'. Given it's set on a longish musical note, how does the singer pronounce the vowel when a good standard-English murmur vowel (~ 'shur') as in everyday speech just won't do? Jane M went for 'sheer'. Can't be right surely?? If one were trying to get the word across to someone hard of hearing wouldn't one go for OX-FORD-SHIRE, rhyming with spire? But does that really work in a song setting?
HOSTS Not sure if this shouldn't be on the Pronunciation thread, but it does arise from a real piece of music (if such may still agreed to figure on Breakfast
).
, and his evocation of a steam loco was IMO discreet but pleasing.So all very good right up to the very last syllable, the ditto of 'Oxfordshire'. Given it's set on a longish musical note, how does the singer pronounce the vowel when a good standard-English murmur vowel (~ 'shur') as in everyday speech just won't do? Jane M went for 'sheer'. Can't be right surely?? If one were trying to get the word across to someone hard of hearing wouldn't one go for OX-FORD-SHIRE, rhyming with spire? But does that really work in a song setting?
HOSTS Not sure if this shouldn't be on the Pronunciation thread, but it does arise from a real piece of music (if such may still agreed to figure on Breakfast
).