CE Christ Church, Oxford Wed, 14th Jan 2015

[Finzi4ever]

An innocent question to those of you who know what's what. I fully appreciate that changing personnel, particularly on the top line, brings inevitable ups and downs for any DoM, but I thought that these trebles had an unpleasantly strangulated tone. I am fairly sure that this was due to just one especially dominant boy, but, nevertheless, I was left wondering how much of a top line's tone should be laid at the door of the voice coach and how much at that of the DoM. Just how much control over the tone does a DoM have these days?

Your 'handle', VH, seems entirely appropriate for this treble timbre and when the stop of the same name (or Frechified version thereof) or possibly the Positif Cromorne was used in the psalms it was hard to tell them apart - I tease of course in all 'eeeeeeeeeeeeeen-ocence'(sic).

[ardcarp]

eeeeeeeeeeeeeen-ocence

[Vox Humana]

I couldn't possibly comment!

[Wolsey]

Howells on that organ? And in that acoustic? Are you serious?

[VodkaDilc]

I missed it first time round, so was determined to catch it today. All very enjoyable, showing the organ at its best - in the final piece and, especially, the imaginative psalm accompaniments. Knowing the building and the organ well, I would say that the engineers did a very good job - better than some recent CEs I've heard.

[edashtav]

I missed it first time round, so was determined to catch it today. All very enjoyable, showing the organ at its best - in the final piece and, especially, the imaginative psalm accompaniments. Knowing the building and the organ well, I would say that the engineers did a very good job - better than some recent CEs I've heard.

Like you, I'm in catch-up mode. I know the acoustics of CCO well and thought that the engineers did a fine job to maintain some sense of clarity and balance. I thought that the choir took time to get into its stride - like some others I noticed male domination and stridency in the Palestrina. I enjoyed the anthem but wasn't always happy with tuning. I like the continental organ - such acoustics as those in CCO tend to turn English organs to mush. The final voluntary was played in a sprightly fashion but even with such persuasive advocacy, the piece fails through its conservatism and lack of originality.

[mw963]

The final voluntary was played in a sprightly fashion but even with such persuasive advocacy, the piece fails through its conservatism and lack of originality.

Interesting that when I say that I didn't enjoy the Potts there's a storm, with three people (it seems) using their very first posts on the forum to tell me I'm wrong (and in Draco's case advising me to go and listen to Classic FM!)

And yet when edashtav comments adversely on the same piece there's total silence.

Seems it's not what you say on this forum, it's who you are.

I'd better leave things to you experts in future and keep my mouth shut.

[Vox Humana]

I wouldn't take the silence as an indication that we agree with him.

[ardcarp]

I'd better leave things to you experts in future and keep my mouth shut.

Oh please no! Your contributions are always welcome, mw. Don't be put off by other people's opinions. We're an opinionated lot, especially...for some reason...here on The Choir, but everyone is entitled to have their say. There are some contributors who have lots of experience in the world of church music, but they are just as likely to disagree with each other as with anyone else!

Keep 'em coming!

[Sandro Clementi]

Uncle and nephew, I believe. DracoM appears to be misinformed on this occasion - both are singular (so to speak).

[DracoM]

? Don't follow ? - sorry.

[french frank]

? Don't follow ? - sorry.

It might have been clearer if Sandro Clementi (welcome to the forum SC) had said 'on that occasion' since it was over two and a half years ago - your Msg #4. Organist and composer were/are apparently uncle and nephew, and the surnames identical, not similar. Both Pott not Potts (hence singular).

It was clarified in Msg#17. Possibly.

[DracoM]

But I thought that between us, we'd corrected the names both on the original lead page and later when the errors on the BBC site came to light and clarification was offered.

Hey ho! Sigh.