CE Wells Cathedral Wed, 19th March 2014

[DracoM]

Pretty loud and in-yer-face, determinedly celebratory and no holds barred from either singers or organ. Occasionally a tad hard-toned, maybe even at times strident, and even now and again with a suggestion of tuning wobbles in the upper voices so mad keen was everybody to give it wellie. But that's the merest cavilling upon the ninth part of an hair.
BUT
in terms of ambition, musicianship, energy and spectacular impact, pretty well faultless.

Victoria is a favourite of mine, and this was a more than decent rendering of OQG.

Mighty canticles on a huge scale - 8-part? Excellent choice to set up tensions and fruitful 'rivalries' between the choirs, of whatever gender.

Loved the anthem. Totally new to me - erm.....not sure how Juan Gutierrez David de Padilla would have reacted to being called a Spanish Mexican? Why was his full name not on the BBC service sheet? My fault maybe: I should have done better research to help posters as ignorant as me!

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Name/Juan-Gutierrez-de-Padilla/Composer/150754-1

Two questions:
1. Not entirely sure about the Bach to round off the service. Well played, of course, but it did feel just a bit separate from the other material. Maybe I'm alone on this? Maybe others felt there was a satisfying dialectic between it and the rest of the service.
2. Lent: this was such an exuberant, even opulent service, it did just strike me as a bit odd for the second week of Lent. Yes, it's a feast day, so maybe justified?

[edashtav]

I've yet to listen but the detailed review by DracoM #16 is a great encouragement to do so. Thank you.

[ardcarp]

this was such an exuberant, even opulent service, it did just strike me as a bit odd for the second week of Lent. Yes, it's a feast day, so maybe justified?

Well, I think you answered your own question there Draco!

The Mag was very enjoyable indeed with loads of vigour...the speed of dispersit superbos was amazing. With all those brilliant music scholars in the school, what a shame they couldn't have rustled up a few wind instruments to double the voice-parts which would have been better than the organ IMO.

The hymns were rousing (pity the middle two verses of the office hymn were not done by trebles and men separately) and I think I enjoyed those plus the organ voluntary (however unconnected with the rest) best of all.

We all love to have our say about what we didn't like, and I have to agree with Draco that some singing was too 'in yer face'. For instance I thought the Victoria was just relentlessly loud and a bit unsubtle from beginning to end.

BTW, how odd to have sung Psalm 1 to a minor-key chant. I always think of it as a confident and happy start to the psalter.

Anyway, there was indeed plenty of Wellie from Wells, and the choice of music was lovely.