A Feast of Choral Music from The Temple

[Simon Biazeck]

How do you know that, Simon?

For one, Hermann Finck, in 1566, has much to say regarding sixteenth century choral sound and choral practices: “The treble should be sung with a delicate and sonorous tone, the bass, however, with a harder and heavier tone: the middle voices should move with uniformity and try to match themselves to the outer parts sweetly and harmoniously.”

A constant dynamic level should be maintained throughout a composition “so that there is no discrepancy in sound between the beginning and the end: the tone should not be too soft or too loud, but rather, like a properly built organ, the ensemble should remain unaltered and constant … The higher a voice rises, the quieter and more gentle should be the tone; the lower it goes, the richer should be the sound, just as in an organ … When there is a tasteful point of imitation at the beginning of a work this is to be rendered with a more definite and distinct tone than is employed elsewhere, and the following parts, if they start with the same point as the first, should perform it in the same way. This should be observed by all the parts whenever a new point occurs.”

Other sixteenth-century writers have written similarly. In the late 16th c. through the influences of the madrigal, dynamic chiaroscuro becomes a component of choral performance.

A word of caution! Please don't misinterpret me. As my post says, I enjoyed the Gallicantus sound and approach and Finck's comments could of course be interpreted in a number of ways. It is important for us to make this music come alive now, but armed with all the information we can make reasonable and assured choices in our performances... of course!

[ardcarp]

Thanks, Simon. It is stating the obvious that in Herr Finck's time, there must have been widely differing sounds and practices throughout Christendom, as indeed there are now. I remember (dimly) a scholar telling me that singers probably made a more strident sound in Renaissance times...and this was based on an oil painting showing a singer with his head tilted upwards. I can't remember the details unfortunately, but it struck me at the time how much can be inferred from so little evidence. I do so agree with:

It is important for us to make this music come alive now,

[ardcarp]

I wonder how many listened to the Temple Choir's own concert on Thursday?
I was very impressed with the choir's showing under their new (-ish) director, Roger Sayer. They have a powerful set of professional men, and yet they were never allowed to outsing the trebles. And what a brave programme for young singers to do live on air. Congratulations for choosing Walton's The Twelve, a fantastic piece, and the treble soloists did a great job.

I wish I could say the same for the brass consort. I guess rehearsal time may have been less than ideal, but even so.......

[DracoM]

And YET AGAIN, the truly appalling SM-P goes into trailing or recapping or both the week's broadcasts as if she were the bluddy Radio Times - and she's done this EVERY single concert this week. Like she does on The Choir, just one trail and announcement about what's coming next as they do on Breakfast. When will she be told to STOP doing that???? Grrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!

And yes, some good things in the concert - the Nico Muhly I particularly liked. Sterling work by the Temple Choir. Sure the brass ensemble will not be looking forward to re-hearing the end of the Rutter.

[Alison]

And YET AGAIN, the truly appalling SM-P goes into trailing or recapping or both the week's broadcasts as if she were the bluddy Radio Times - and she's done this EVERY single concert this week. Like she does on The Choir, just one trail and announcement about what's coming next as they do on Breakfast. When will she be told to STOP doing that???? Grrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!
.

Yes, I dearly wish Classic FM would acquire her services.

[DracoM]

Seconded.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Well, for me it's a game breaker. I think it actively damages the R3 interface with its listeners.

Look, I've just tried to delete the text in bold above: it is NOT ferneyhoughgeliebte's words, but Dracs reply to his posting: don't know what's going on..........help!

[Lento]

Any reactions to Friday's "Messiah as you've never heard it" (no strings)? I expected to hate it, but took to it straight away: tasteful and brilliant wind playing, an all-round success, imv.

I find SMP' straight, non-chatty delivery less irritating than that of Katie Derham, though the latter is probably only doing what she thinks is expected of her.

[DracoM]

Instruments fine, voices less so on Friday.

[jean]

Fine playing, very interesting arrangement - but the trumpet obbligato at The trumpet shall sound lost out because it wasn't contrasted with anything as it usually is.

(It has always been my favourite bit of Messiah. How much of that is because it signalled to me as a child that we were getting near the end, I cannot say.)

Curiously, I thought the BBC singers top line were a lot better in the Tallis the other afternoon (yes I listened!) than they were last night.

[ardcarp]

As I heard it last year from Oslo, I didn't listen last night. I guess it was much the same...brilliant wind playing...but one has to ask, Why?

[Caussade]

Fine playing, very interesting arrangement - but the trumpet obbligato at The trumpet shall sound lost out because it wasn't contrasted with anything as it usually is.

(It has always been my favourite bit of Messiah. How much of that is because it signalled to me as a child that we were getting near the end, I cannot say.)

Curiously, I thought the BBC singers top line were a lot better in the Tallis the other afternoon (yes I listened!) than they were last night.

Nothing curious about it. It was a substantially different line-up of singers for Friday's concert, and one with voices less to your taste.

[DracoM]

I wonder if you could tell us how you know this?