CE Sheffield Cathedral Wed, 25th June 2014

[DracoM]

CE Sheffield Cathedral



Order of Service:



Introit: O for a closer walk with God (Grayston Ives)
Responses: Matthew Martin
Psalm: 119: 73-104 (Gauntlett; Sidwell)
First Lesson: 2 Chronicles 34:19-end
Office Hymn: Eternal light, shine in my heart (Herongate)
Canticles: Short Service (Orr)
Second Lesson: Romans 8: 1-11
Anthem: Hear my words, ye people (Parry)
Hymn: Holy Spirit, come, confirm us (All for Jesus)



Organ Voluntary: Paean (Leighton)




Joshua Hales (Assistant Director of Music)
Neil Taylor (Director of Music)

[DracoM]

Reminder: today @ 3.30 p.m.

[ardcarp]

Heard it in the car doing 70 (+) on the M5. Sounded well tuned and well directed, but alas I couldn't hear it properly. Love to hear about it from others.

[DracoM]

The girls brought an open freshness of tone to the repertoire, and were well supported by particularly useful tenors. Sounds a nice acoustic to sing into as well.

[chitreb]

I couldn't help feeling that the top line got better as the service progressed after some early minor issues (imo) with intonation and tone quality. Early nerves perhaps. By half way through I was thoroughly enjoying the singing.

[DracoM]

Agreed.

[Philip]

Such a shame about the organ isn't it - its a digital and not a particularly good one at that. Sometimes recordings or broadcasts can mask the deficiencies of digitals but you could tell how plastic the sound was here. I know they're undergoing major work, but the organ must surely be a priority for the Cathedral in the near future, as it deserves an awful lot better. That's not to criticise Joshua Hales's playing - he did as well as he could with the resources!

I haven't listened to the whole thing but a few things to comment on...

Matthew Martin's responses really seem to be catching on, and seem to appearing on the music lists of an ever-growing number of Cathedrals. The next Shephard perhaps?

The anthem is a favourite of mine - I know its a bit long for some tastes but there's some wonderful moments in there, and not many realise its the origin of Parry's now ubiquitous hymn tune (including the last verse arrangement). I have to say the bass soloist sounded all over the place, but the rest of it was brought off well.

I didn't know the Introit at all but found it quite charming and the sort of thing I'd look at for our Parish Church choir.

[mw963]

Such a shame about the organ isn't it - its a digital and not a particularly good one at that. Sometimes recordings or broadcasts can mask the deficiencies of digitals but you could tell how plastic the sound was here. I know they're undergoing major work, but the organ must surely be a priority for the Cathedral in the near future, as it deserves an awful lot better. That's not to criticise Joshua Hales's playing - he did as well as he could with the resources!

I believe it's a Phoenix organ. I would agree that on this broadcast it was very obviously electronic but curiously enough the last time they did a live transmission it sounded - at least to my ears - much better, so I wonder whether the positioning of the mics can flatter (or insult!) what's there.

At present Exeter is using a Copeman Hart, and when I went in for the December broadcast I thought the CH sounded pretty claggy in the cathedral. But it sounded very much better on the recording I'd made at home.

Sheffield always seem to put on a good show; I've mentioned before that on a visit to Exeter many years ago they were top-notch.

However, try as I might I still cannot abide Leighton's music, that Paean is as ghastly now as when I first suffered it at least thirty years ago. As my father would have said, "Not a right note throughout". And that's in no way supposed to insult the player, who was admirable!

[Keraulophone]

However, try as I might I still cannot abide Leighton's music, that Paean is as ghastly now as when I first suffered it at least thirty years ago. As my father would have said, "Not a right note throughout". And that's in no way supposed to insult the player, who was admirable!

It sounds to me like the musical equivalent of a 1960s office block overdue for demolition.

[mopsus]

I went to sing in Sheffield a few years ago and they had a Copeman Hart. We were told that since the collapse of the steel industry it was hard to raise money and many of the congregation (presumably cloth-eared) thought there was no need to buy an organ because they already had one. They had been hoping to put one on the west end wall and have a choir organ too. At the time they were investigating getting Lottery money to pay for installing an organ from a redundant church. (Though I don't know how many redundant churches would have had one of a suitable size). But all of this was back in 2004 so a decade ago!

[ardcarp]

I like Leighton's Paean! It used to be one of my party pieces and I even played it for a certain exam about 40 years ago. It has a great cumulative rhythmic drive, IMO, so there.

[Chris Watson]

I remember having to start Set Me As A Seal in Sydney Town Hall in 1994 shortly after Tim Noon had played the last chord of that piece. That 64' reed really gave me the willies.

[Triforium]

Yes, a forthright open freshness in the top line, particularly on cantoris. Agreed, the sound improved as the service went along. As mentioned, nerves perhaps. Settled in nicely.

Never been a huge fan of the Mag, a study in sixths for the singers, but have always enjoyed the Nunc and Gloria sections. Well done here.

The Parry is a huge sing, and came across well.

Many thanks to Sheffield for an enjoyable evensong!

[Finzi4ever]

I couldn't help feeling that the top line got better as the service progressed after some early minor issues (imo) with intonation and tone quality. Early nerves perhaps. By half way through I was thoroughly enjoying the singing.

This was great, but it did feel to me that there were intonation issues throughout, espec. in the unaccomp. sections of the Parry, so I don't think it can be put down to the "toaster". As electronics go, Phoenix organs are pretty good and def better from a player's POV compared to the feel of Allen, Rodgers &c. Of course when listening on a radio/computer you are hearing speakers through speakers which serves to mask the distinction of hearing pipes live.

[ardcarp]

Allen, Rodgers &c

I hope the '&c' doesn't include Copeman Hart, which IMVHO are the best of the electronics.