Llandaff on WATO

[ardcarp]

Marking its 50th anniversary, R4's World at One is asking listeners to suggest aspects of the UK which are outstanding. It is a credit to R4 that it gave a 5 minute slot to Jonathan Bielby who made a great case for the excellence of UK choirs and of cathedral choirs in particular. There was some 'background' singing from Llandaff's choir and a brief chat with one of the choristers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05xd504#auto

...about 37'50" in, i.e. near the end.

(Wasn't there some bother a year or two ago about Llandaff's D&C sacking some lay clerks for budgetary reasons? That was disgraceful of course, but it's good to know that good music continues there.)

[Magnificat]

Marking its 50th anniversary, R4's World at One is asking listeners to suggest aspects of the UK which are outstanding. It is a credit to R4 that it gave a 5 minute slot to Jonathan Bielby who made a great case for the excellence of UK choirs and of cathedral choirs in particular. There was some 'background' singing from Llandaff's choir and a brief chat with one of the choristers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05xd504#auto

...about 37'50" in, i.e. near the end.

(Wasn't there some bother a year or two ago about Llandaff's D&C sacking some lay clerks for budgetary reasons? That was disgraceful of course, but it's good to know that good music continues there.)

ardcarp

I see from Llandaff's site that Jonathan Bielby is interim Director of Music there.

VCC.

[Keraulophone]

What a delightful and unexpected lunchtime slot, with the vastly experienced Mr Bielby shedding glorious light on the marvels of a living tradition. (He has clearly been enjoying his 'retirement' from Wakefield in Cardiff via Cambridge; he even pops into CE at Truro occasionally!)

Wasn't there some bother a year or two ago about Llandaff's D&C sacking some lay clerks for budgetary reasons? That was disgraceful of course, but it's good to know that good music continues there.

Would that the Deanless Chapter of Llandaff had had this tradition in mind while doing their dastardly deed of sacking the gentlemen of the choir, along with their young and able assistant organist, five days before Christmas 2013, and months before the unveiling of a new £1.5M organ. The juxtaposition of a quiet celebration of this land's choral tradition with the place in which it was being honoured, felt quite galling to say the least.

http://savellandaffchoir.weebly.com/previous-campaign-updates.html