CE St Eustachius Church, Tavistock [R] Wed, 13th Sept 2023

[DracoM]

CE St Eustachius Church, Tavistock [R]
Exon Singers Festival, for the Eve of Holy Cross Day

Order of Service:

Introit: Crux fidelis (King John IV of Portugal)
Responses: Tomkins
Psalm 66 (Plainsong)
First Lesson: Isaiah 52 v.13 – 53 v.12
Office hymn: The royal banners forward go (Gonfalon Royal)
Canticles: Evening Canticles (Sarah Rimkus)
Second Lesson: Ephesians 2 vv.11-22
Anthem: Praise (Dobrinka Tabakova)
Hymn: When I survey the wondrous cross (Rockingham)
Voluntary: Diptych (Chorale) (Dobrinka Tabakova)


Neil Taylor (Organist)
Joseph Judge (Conductor)

Recorded 28 July

[ardcarp]

Look forward to this. Just a note: the founder of the Exon Singers, Christopher Teuten, died on 7th July this year. In his later years he had formed an informal choir, Devon Voices. I rounded them up shortly before he died, and we sang a few of his favourites to him at his home. It was a pleasure for us and he clearly enjoyed the occasion, even though he was then very weak. It is wonderful to know that his 'baby' The Exon Singers, is still flourishing.

[mopsus]

I have happy memories of singing services in this church when on summer tour with the Exon Singers, then conducted by Christopher Tolley. In those days their broadcast evensong came at New Year, and then for many years they didn't get a broadcast at all.

[ardcarp]

I've sung with them too, when Mathew Owens took them over for a while. No broadcasts in my time. I think they may have broadcast from Tewkesbury Abbey once or twice.

[mopsus]

I've sung with them too, when Mathew Owens took them over for a while. No broadcasts in my time. I think they may have broadcast from Tewkesbury Abbey once or twice.

They used to do a broadcast from (a very cold) Tewkesbury Abbey in the week after Christmas. They've also more recently broadcast from Buckfast Abbey. The gap when they didn't broadcast in the CE slot is shorter than I thought; from 1995 to 2001.

[DracoM]

Reminder: today at - guess what? - USUAL time..................Hurray!...

[DracoM]

Good choice of material, and good, no-fuss professionalism in delivering it.

[Finzi4ever]

They used to do a broadcast from (a very cold) Tewkesbury Abbey in the week after Christmas. They've also more recently broadcast from Buckfast Abbey. The gap when they didn't broadcast in the CE slot is shorter than I thought; from 1995 to 2001.

This was my era with them too (mid80s-early00s), from the 'good doctor' (Tolley), via Lumsden then Carwood, to Owens. "Ah, happy days!" I preferred the annual Tewkesbury gigs (despite the cold) to Dartmoor week tbh.

[DracoM]

Reminder: rpt today.

[ardcarp]

I hate to say this about a choir I sang with in the past, and which usually sparkled. But I thought the CE rather dull. It felt somewhat Lentent! But as Draco says, professionally delivered.

[jonfan]

I agree, though professionally sung as remarked. There were some intonation issues at times to my ears.

[subcontrabass]

It felt somewhat Lentent! .

Is that not appropriate for the Feast of the Holy Cross?

[ardcarp]

I’m no expert on Church Feast Days, but searching online I find ‘The Exultation of the Holy Cross’. Not much exultation I felt.

[Vox Humana]

If you want to know about the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the account from the Legenda Aurea, as published by Wynkyn de Worde in 1534, can be read here. Go to thumbnail image 564.

https://luna.manchester.ac.uk/luna/servlet/media/book/showBook/Manchester~20~20~20~208708

If you really are a glutton for punishment, the account from John Mirk's Liber Festivalis (William Caxton, 1483) can be read here (thumbnail 212):

https://luna.manchester.ac.uk/luna/servlet/media/book/showBook;JSESSIONID=7f1fb215-2103-49de-a5fa-39dd84eb8e1d/Manchester~20~20~89~202336

Accounts like these make you realise why there was a reformation and I very much doubt that this is what the present 'Holy Cross Day'.is celebrating.

I must say that the 'Lunaversal Viewer' used for these books gives me a sinking feeling whenever I encounter it - it really is an unfriendly piece of software - but I'll put up with anything for the pleasure of being able to read books like this online.

[subcontrabass]

I’m no expert on Church Feast Days, but searching online I find ‘The Exultation of the Holy Cross’. Not much exultation I felt.

ExAltation - "rasing up" for solemn veneration, NOT exUltation - "rejoicing.