Choral Vespers for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Wed, Sept 9t

[DracoM]

Choral Vespers for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
King's College Chapel, Cambridge recorded in March 2015.



Introductory Sentences, Antiphons and Psalms 113, 117, 146, 147 (Plainsong)
Hymn: Ave maris stella (John Dunstable)
Magnificat 'Regale' (Robert Fayrfax)
Homily: The Revd Dr Stephen Cherry
Marian Antiphon: Salve Regina (Robert Hacomplaynt)


Director of Music: Stephen Cleobury

[CallMePaul]

This sounds like some fine music! I,m not sure why it had to be recorded 6 months prior to ther feast day (today), though. If the Provost of King;s College feels that the feast is too Catholic (although a number of Anglican churches celebrate it) should the BBC not have gone to one of the many fine Catholic cathedral choirs?

[ardcarp]

Thank heavens for the catholicity of today's Anglican Church. In my yoof, many churches disliked things that 'smacked of Popery'. I look forward to tomorrow's offerings, recorded or not. Maybe the Beeb did a bit of forward planning and thought, Aha! Not many takers for an early September live broadcast. Let's get one in the can. I haven't heard Kings doing much pre-Reformation stuff. Should be interesting.

[Miles Coverdale]

Well, I can't imagine any choir tackling repertoire like that in the first week of a new year …

[DracoM]

And for my money, they've got a hell of a lot of competition from CCC Oxon's recent brilliant recordings in this VERY tricky repertoire!

[DracoM]

Today @ 3.30

[Awkwardlistener]

And for my money, they've got a hell of a lot of competition from CCC Oxon's recent brilliant recordings in this VERY tricky repertoire!

Performances aren't in competition with each other Draco. This is an act of worship

[ardcarp]

On this board, acts of worship definitely compete with each other

[DracoM]

And I was talking about how different choirs go about celebrating the office. As ardcarp says.
And we had about as sharp a contrast between how CCC Oxon and KCC approach similar areas of repertoire as one might expect. Interestingly so.

[Vox Humana]

I have only just returned from abroad so will have to catch this later, but I have heard KKC sing the Hacomplaynt before, albeit probably with entirely different personnel, and it worked well. Nice to see some Dunstable programmed.

Incidentally, in his chapter in the new book about King's College Chapel, Roger Bowers points out that there is no proof that the composer Hacomplaynt/Hacomplayne was the KCC Provost Robert Hacomblen who finished the building. He suggests that the two probably came from the same family (since two pieces by the composer were known at King's at the time), but there is nothing in the Provost's biography that suggests that he was the composer. The book is superb and excellent value if you happen to be passing King's. It's still a perfectly fair price if you order by post, although the postage is quite hefty because so is the book (A4 height and a bit wider).

[Vile Consort]

Well, I can't imagine any choir tackling repertoire like that in the first week of a new year …

And certainly not four weeks before the end of the summer vacation, which this is.

[Finzi4ever]

No comments at all afaics on service itself or singing in particular. I'd value views of others.

[ardcarp]

I think we're all a bit hesitant to comment. Acres of plainsong is fine by me but may not have pleased some trad CE listeners. I love the pre-Ref English repertory. The snag is we've heard it done by our faves (CCO for Draco and NCO for me), and comparisons are odious. I felt the treble line didn't quite soar through the texture enough, and maybe KCC wasn't quite 'to the manner born'. But full marks for doing it. Maybe I'll have another listen.

BTW, there's another Magnificat by Fayrfax, O Bone Jesu, edited by Paul Doe. I like that one even more than Regale.

[Finzi4ever]

I think we're all a bit hesitant to comment. Acres of plainsong is fine bt me but may not have pleased some trad CE listeners. I love the pre-Ref English repertory. The snag is we've heard it done by our faves (CCO for Draco and NCO for me), and comparisons are odious. I felt the treble line didn't quite soar through the texture enough, and maybe KCC wasn't quite 'to the manner born'. But full marks for doing it. Maybe I'll have another listen.

BTW, there's another Magnificat by Fayrfax, O Bone Jesu, edited by Paul Doe. I like that one even more than Regale.

Thanks for the speedy response - I agree (& am with you on NCO too). Now I'm ready to be shot down in flames when I say that unless the full choir were singing in early form of meantone or whatever would be more appropriate for the period, the intonation of the Hacomplaynt, and to a lesser degree the Fayrfax, was 'interesting' to put it mildly, or am I revealing some serious Philistinism...

[DracoM]

I'd endorse ardcarp completely. Didn't feel to be the KCC's native air. They seemed respectful of the material rather than inside it. CCC have, of course, recorded a series of CDs of similar material eg Eton Choirbook etc so have had a goodly time to work at and thus make the idiom their own.