CE Liverpool Cathedral 30th March 2011

[DracoM]

CE Liverpool Cathedral


Order of Service:


Introit: Evening Hymn of King Charles I (Ley)
Responses: Leighton
Psalms: 36, 38, 39 (Hylton Stewart, South, Barnby, Sinclair)
Office Hymn: There's a wideness in God's mercy (Corvedale)
First Lesson: Genesis 9: 8-17
Canticles: The First Service (Batten)
Second Lesson: 1 Peter 3: 18-22
Anthem: My soul, there is a country (Parry)
Final Hymn: I heard the voice of Jesus say (Kingsfold)

Voluntary: Prelude and Fugue in C minor BWV546 (Bach)


Organ Scholar: Martyn Noble
Associate Organist: Daniel Bishop
Director of Music: David Poulter

[DracoM]

I tried an experiment - sure everyone else has done exactly the same week after week, but..........!

Listened live in stereo on FM, then later iPlayer. The difference is actually quite startling particular with an acoustic like Liverpool Cathedral.

On FM, the distance, separation, rather edgy sound picture plus echo combined to make much tuning feel a bit wobbly at times, some men's voices pretty prominent, and at times the top line disappeared into the not inconsiderable open spaces. No lack of enthusiasm, nor musicianship at all. It must be a pig of a place to engineer sympathetically, particularly for live broadcast.

However, on iPLayer, the much more compressed sound actually made the choir sound physically alive, present, much closer and well-knit, solos stood out well - particularly the boy in the canticles - while the alto did not fare anythng like as well.

Lot of real energy and enthusiasm throughout the service, maybe tiny indiscipline in the psalms at times, but the occasional use of unison allowed each part to sing out with some relish, and the freedom and delight evinced was clear.

The Batten canticles I didn't think worked ideally in this acoustic, very decent piece thnough it is in its own right, since it tended to exaggerat the sheer hugeness of the spaces and came over on FM at least as a bit thin as a result. But that's probably just me, and anyway, you can't keep on choosing the semi-operatic end of the repertoire because of the cathedral you direct in I do understand.

Parry however was a great choice for that acoustic, and the choir delivered it with real swagger and fine sonority.

On both FM and iPlayer, the very fine Bach Prelude and Fugue were a joy. How often do we EVER hear a complete pairing of Prel/Fug? ? Many thanks for that.

[ardcarp]

Well done Liverpool. I love the hymn, There's a Wideness in God's Mercy, sung to Coverdale. A really splendid tune. I'm so glad that the final hymn and not that one was sacrificed to time pressures. In past broadcasts the organ has (unsurprisingly) been a bit OTT, and here it was tastefully controlled...and the chamber organ in the Batten was just great.

[DracoM]

Sorry - yes, the Batten accompaniment was delightful, wasn't it? Supportive but discreet.

[Bullock in D]

Is it true that the choir goes in in fours ( not on all fours ) because the place is so vast?

[amateur51]

Well done Liverpool. I love the hymn, There's a Wideness in God's Mercy, sung to Coverdale. A really splendid tune. I'm so glad that the final hymn and not that one was sacrificed to time pressures. In past broadcasts the organ has (unsurprisingly) been a bit OTT, and here it was tastefully controlled...and the chamber organ in the Batten was just great.

Coverdale?

Isn't that the milk that the cows want back?

I'm a stranger here myself

[DracoM]

Gosh, that ws funny.

[bach736]

Actually, they could have sung the final hymn and still had time to spare. You don't suppose they forgot, do you? I've done it myself.

[DracoM]

But that would have left them no time for the splendid Bach - that finished pretty well spot on 5 p.m.

[bach736]

Sorry to be pedantic, Draco, but the running time was only 57'31". I remain unconvinced.
I agree about the Bach, though - superbly played.

[dj02468]

Some good sounds here from the choir, particularly the men; the boys diction and pitch in the psalms a little unclear. I agree about the organ balance - much better than in the past. Batten very competently sung, pity about the fluffed organ note though. Bach and the organ/building acoustic have never IMO been good bedfellows as the detail is often swamped by the echo. Not sure I agree with bach736, as there were several dubious sounds, fluffs and tempo variations - competent rather than superb. Which raises an interesting question - why wasn't Prof Tracey playing? You would normally have expected the senior player to be there, even if a less experienced player was allowed to play for some part. Has there been another upset?

[Lizzie]

Some good sounds here from the choir, particularly the men; the boys diction and pitch in the psalms a little unclear. I agree about the organ balance - much better than in the past. Batten very competently sung, pity about the fluffed organ note though. Bach and the organ/building acoustic have never IMO been good bedfellows as the detail is often swamped by the echo. Not sure I agree with bach736, as there were several dubious sounds, fluffs and tempo variations - competent rather than superb. Which raises an interesting question - why wasn't Prof Tracey playing? You would normally have expected the senior player to be there, even if a less experienced player was allowed to play for some part. Has there been another upset?

I believe the Maestro felt it would be good to let a young player have the pleasure of some moments of glory, having played so many broadcasts for nearly 30 years. No upsets! Bws. Liz

[Lizzie]

Have heard many a good Bach concert played on the Lady Chapel organ though. Think Bach sounds much brighter in the Cathedral these days, since the installation of the Nave division several years ago. Perhaps one just has to be there to really hear that though. L

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

It must be a pig of a place to engineer sympathetically, particularly for live broadcast.

I heard Elgar's oratorio "The Apostle" under Sir Charles Groves in Liverpool Cathedral in the early 1970s, and the echo was very destructive. The BBC recording that was broadcast later couldn't overcome this completely, but it was amazing just how much the blurring of sound was minimised. Sometimes a bit of aural cheating can be beneficial.

[Lizzie]

I heard Elgar's oratorio "The Apostle" under Sir Charles Groves in Liverpool Cathedral in the early 1970s, and the echo was very destructive. The BBC recording that was broadcast later couldn't overcome this completely, but it was amazing just how much the blurring of sound was minimised. Sometimes a bit of aural cheating can be beneficial.

I've sung Crucifixion in there many a time and it always feels as if one is singing a solo! Mind you as I sing Second Sop, and there are always larger numbers of Top G merchants, it's probably not so far from the truth! Fun though!