CE Ripon Cathedral Wed, 21st Jan 2015

[DracoM]

CE Ripon Cathedral



Order of Service:



Introit: O nata lux de lumine (Tallis)
Responses: Ayleward
Office Hymn: Tis good, Lord, to be here (Carlisle)
Psalm 106 (Mann; Goss; Armes)
Lesson: 1 Kings 19: 9b - 18
Canticles: Stanford in A
Lesson: Mark 9: 2 - 13
Anthem: Blessed City, heavenly Salem (Bairstow)
Hymn : Jesu, these eyes have never seen (Nun danket all)



Organ Voluntary: Nuages ensoleillés sur le Cap Nègre from 'Promenades en Provence' (Reuchsel)



Tim Harper, Assistant Director of Music
Andrew Bryden, Director of Music

[ardcarp]

The organ voluntary is a new one on me. Distinctly Debussian title. I've led a sheltered life and haven't even heard of Reuchsel. Here he is on Wiki:

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eug%C3%A8ne_Reuchsel

[mercia]

I've listened to the piece on youtube, great stuff, but quite short, in the 'French toccata' style

[edashtav]

listened to the piece on youtube, great stuff, but quite short, in the 'French toccata' style

There are at least two versions on youtube - which one did you prefer, mercs? I enjoyed the slower version from St Chad's R.C. cathedral in Brum that clocks in around 2m.46s. although the French "whizz-ard" creates a more strident impact partly due to fierce continental mixtures. Although fairly trivial, this piece makes a useful addition to the mighty handful of French toccatas.

[mercia]

I only saw the Rouen one, which then continues with another piece from the set, equally attractive I thought. M.Reuchsel was obviously an accomplished pianist if he gave 5000 recitals.

[Oldcrofter]

re Voluntary: Nuages ensoleillés sur le Cap Nègre from 'Promenades en Provence' (Reuchsel)

le Cap Nègre:

http://www.lelavandou.eu/ukplages/plage11.htm

As you will see from the photos, it's always sunny there - not a nuage in sight !

[mercia]

all his titles seem to be very descriptive - I wish my French was better

[ardcarp]

I enjoyed the slower version from St Chad's R.C. cathedral

Me too. The accompanying figure just drew attention to itself in the strident French one. I guess Ripon will sound more like St Chad's.

PS I'm posting the details of the walker organ at St Chad's RC Cathedral Birminham on the organ section...nothing to do with Ripon which is about to start.

[Miles Coverdale]

all his titles seem to be very descriptive - I wish my French was better

This reminds me of the (quite possibly apocryphal) story about the Associated Board examiner who asked a candidate playing Debussy's La fille aux cheveux de lin to show their undertanding of the piece by translating the title into English, at which point they replied ‘The girl with the loins of a horse’.

[Keraulophone]

...which reminds me of the answer given to a question in a junior school exam showing an image from a French Timotei shampoo advertisement:

'You can wash your horse in some.'

[mercia]

There are at least two versions on youtube - which one did you prefer, mercs?

well, having heard four now, I think I still prefer the Rouen, though its probably not fair to compare. The end of the last piece on that video I think is a wonderful sound, a roaring beast.

[edashtav]

well, having heard four now, I think I still prefer the Rouen, though its probably not fair to compare. The end of the last piece on that video I think is a wonderful sound, a roaring beast.

Well, I certainly didn't prefer the Ripon Cathedral performance by Tim Harper. There was far too much "nuages" and insufficient "soleil". His was a very fluent performance but he was let down by the distant acoustic that the BBC engineers conjured. Harper's performance was on the slow side, coming home in 3mins and 16 secs.

I know what you mean about the true French sound on the Rouen version, mercs - in the flesh it was probably irresistible.

Turning to the rest of Evensong this afternoon, I found the choral singing to be adequate but it rarely gripped me. I was worried by the balance in the Tallis introit, finding the inner voices recessed. The finest performances were of Stanford in A . The Magnificat went with a real swing and energy. This work gained, no doubt from being familiar and in repertoire. It possessed energy and finesse. The Bairstow anthem was less successful, that's partly the fault of Bairstow, himself. I find that his music mixes magical moments with stretches where the composer rambles, packing in too many incongruous ideas and effects. One entry by the men was too blatant and "in yer face" for my liking.

[DracoM]

This CE was what happens when sound core and no-frills repertoire is sung with confidence, discipline, and good balance in a friendly acoustic well-captured.
Given the sometimes scarily tough road Ripon have had to travel in the last five years or so, this was a real statement of determination and talent.

I was just a bit puzzled by how the various sections of the choir seem to be highlighted almost as if being captured by a slow moving camera, but I got used to it.

[Op. XXXIX]

Although fairly trivial, this piece makes a useful addition to the mighty handful of French toccatas.

Fair enough, though I certainly enjoyed hearing it!

Incidentally, I checked my database of organ CDs (I have so many, no way would I find anything without it) to see if I had any other music by Reuchsel. Sure enough, Très lent et douloureux played by Samuel Soria at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles CA. BTW, beautiful building, visited it several years ago.

Otherwise, very enjoyable CE. Stanford in A is always a pleasure, and I can understand some reservations concerning Bairstow's music.

[ardcarp]

The Bairstow anthem was less successful, that's partly the fault of Bairstow, himself. I find that his music mixes magical moments with stretches where the composer rambles, packing in too many incongruous ideas and effects.

It's one of those pieces, because of its firmly established place in the repertoire, that one accepts uncritically I suppose. Indeed there are some lovely moments in it; and organists get a few moments of jam, e.g. the bit where you are on your own and you can go all guns blazing. But 'in this temple' towards the end is rather beautiful...if in a slightly over-sentimental way.