CE Winchester Cathedral - Weds 23rd July

[mw963]

@ Lizzie

I happen to have a professional interest in broadcast sound, so I'm afraid you must forgive me if I care to comment on it; this is after all a forum primarily about Radio 3 rather than about cathedral music! However, from your point of view it's perhaps unfortunate that my remarks happened to be the first to be made, indeed I was typing as soon as the broadcast had finished. And the action to bring up the levels of the last section of the voluntary actually exacerbated the problem of coughing!

However, my reticence to comment on other aspects of the relay is more down to the fact that there are many long-term experts on here and - ahem - some of them are fairly inflexible about us "lesser mortals" commenting on the musical aspects of CEs if they happen to conflict with their own "expert" view. And certainly any mention of gender in the top line seems to generate a huge amount of - often prejudiced on both sides - heat! Which is a pity as I imagine I'm not the only one who feels "silenced" by the fury we've seen on here in the past.

And I'm really NOT trying to have a go at anyone on here, just trying to explain the background to my post. And I did - as I said - enjoy the broadcast!

[ardcarp]

mw963 I'd just like to say how welcome and informative your technical comments were. Though I totally lack knowledge in this area, I often wonder why sometimes the beeb gets it right against all the odds (eg recently in the difficult acoustic of Liverpool Anglican Cathedral) when at other times the sound is frankly disappointing. However, we should perhaps be grateful that R3 continues to do a (mainly) live weekly broadcast

Very much enjoyed the Winchester service, and it was great credit to AL that he got the psalms sorted...always difficult with combined choirs.

I think anyone who wants to give an opinion about the music should go ahead and do it, and not be bothered by any of the 'experts'.

[jean]

...I've heard many male Precentors sing far less well, with many more broadcasts to their name...

...and all uncommented-upon.

Yes, that thought occurred to me.

[Lizzie]

Thank you, Jean!

[mw963]

mw963 I'd just like to say how welcome and informative your technical comments were. Though I totally lack knowledge in this area, I often wonder why sometimes the beeb gets it right against all the odds (eg recently in the difficult acoustic of Liverpool Anglican Cathedral) when at other times the sound is frankly disappointing. However, we should perhaps be grateful that R3 continues to do a (mainly) live weekly broadcast

Very much enjoyed the Winchester service, and it was great credit to AL that he got the psalms sorted...always difficult with combined choirs.

I think anyone who wants to give an opinion about the music should go ahead and do it, and not be bothered by any of the 'experts'.

Thanks ardcarp. Obviously a lot of it has to be guesswork - albeit a little "informed". As you say, we're lucky to have CE intact when so much of the rest of Radio 3 has fallen apart; and mostly we're given good quality from the venue, even if the links back to London let us down occasionally.

@ Jean - you could have commented on male precentors if you had wanted to...? Or are you too polite??!!