CE Winchester College [R] 20.iii.24

[DracoM]

CE Winchester College [R] 20.iii.24

Order of Service:

Introit: God so loved the world (Bob Chilcott)
Responses: Byrd
Office hymn: Lord Jesus, think on me
Psalm 104 (Parratt, Walmisley)
First Lesson: Job 36 vv.1-12
Canticles: The Second Service (Byrd)
Second Lesson: John 14 vv.1-14
Anthem: Like as the hart (Howells)
Hymn: There’s a wideness in God’s mercy (Corvedale)
Antiphon: A Litany (Walton)
Voluntary: Fancie in D (Byrd)

Benjamin Cunningham (Assistant Director of Chapel Music)
Howard Ionascu (Director of Chapel Music)

[DracoM]

Reminder: today @ 4 p.m.

[Keraulophone]

No it wasn't from Winchester Cathedral as announced!

[Ein Heldenleben]

No it wasn't from Winchester Cathedral as announced!

No it was from the magnificent 14th Cent College Chapel with a considerably more “manageable” acoustic than the recent Cathedral relay.

[edashtav]

Yes, Keraulophone , the acoustic was very unlike Winchester Cathedral's majestic amplitude.

I found the singing to be good but not outstanding. Nothing was forced and the blend in and across the parts was pleasant. Bob Chilcott's crochet minim setting of God So Loved the world sounds so 20th century: out of Gabriel Fauré with a thank you to John Rutter. It's the fluent work of a very skilful, choral composer born and nurtured in the Church of England but, latterly, maybe, a tad confined by it. Was there sufficient choral variety in the singing of Psalm 104? (I said a quiet Alleluia when the chant changed.)

The canticles to William Byrd's 2nd setting were well drilled and confident and it was good to have canticles, responses and final voluntary acting as a uniting link across the service.

Herbert Howells' Like as the Hart snthem produced for me the best performance of the service with lower voices singing its opening sequence with polished and shapely aplomb.

Walton's Litany provided a prayerful end to this evensong.

[DracoM]

Howellls OK, yes........rest......? Well...OK-ish.