CE Portsmouth Cathedral 26th Sept 2015

[DracoM]

CE Portsmouth Cathedral


Order of Service:


Introit: Sing we merrily (Campbell)
Responses: Leighton
Psalms 114, 115 (Bairstow, Camidge)
First Lesson: 1 Kings 17
Canticles: Brewer in D
Second Lesson: Acts 20: 1-16
Anthem: Strengthen ye the weak hands (Harris)
Hymn: O strength and stay (Strength and stay)


Organ Voluntary: Marche héroïque (Brewer)


Oliver Hancock (Cathedral Sub-Organist)
David Price (Organist and Master of the Choristers)

[DracoM]

Gentle reminder: today @ 3.30 p.m.

[Vile Consort]

Shome mishtake, shurely? ... it's the 23rd today.

[DracoM]

The mistake was mine in the thread heading. Mea culpa. Should have read 23rd.
The stress, the stress........................

[Op. XXXIX]

Splendid service. A treat to have Brewer's two best -and best known- works. Presumably written without help from Elgar?

(If the Priory CD of his choral works is a fair sampling of his abilities as a composer.)

[light_calibre_baritone]

Not heard Pompey yet - expect it will be excellent. Personally, I find Brewer in D achingly dull to sing...

[mopsus]

Personally, I find Brewer in D achingly dull to sing...

Yes, I'd agree with you there. It's one of those settings (the various ones by Wood are other examples) which are frequently to be seen on music lists, but very rarely come round on evensong broadcasts.

[light_calibre_baritone]

Yes, I'd agree with you there. It's one of those settings (the various ones by Wood are other examples) which are frequently to be seen on music lists, but very rarely come round on evensong broadcasts.

Yes! And considering John Ireland wrote some wonderful music how did Ireland in F turn out so dull?

[Finzi4ever]

I enjoyed this a lot - a good performance especially for still being so early in the year. Interesting how the 'cathedral of the sea' now has both organists hailing from the 'ship of the fens'...(amuses me anyway)

'Once in Royal' seemed an odd tribute to DW , however, and only serves to confirm the mistaken belief that, like a dog, the great man was 'just for Christmas'.

[light_calibre_baritone]

I enjoyed this a lot - a good performance especially for still being so early in the year. Interesting how the 'cathedral of the sea' now has both organists hailing from the 'ship of the fens'...(amuses me anyway)

'Once in Royal' seemed an odd tribute to DW , however, and only serves to confirm the mistaken belief that, like a dog, the great man was 'just for Christmas'.

Maybe he has slightly become a victim of his own success? Ask many musicians to name works or arrangements by DW and you're very likely to get all the Crimbo stuff!

[Tenebrae]

Yes! And considering John Ireland wrote some wonderful music how did Ireland in F turn out so dull?

Yes. Brewer in D is boring and lacking in ideas (though amazingly it is still better than the F & Eb settings!), and sorry, but anniversary or not I can't see any justification for it being broadcast, unless for it's ease. I also agree that Ireland in F is disappointingly dull.

I can't agree with mopsus on Wood though. Certainly some are poor, he wrote a hat full, but one or two are not half bad and I think the Coll Reg setting is one of the best of the entire English repertoire (a notch below Howells though)

[mopsus]

I can't agree with mopsus on Wood though. Certainly some are poor, he wrote a hat full, but one or two are not half bad and I think the Coll Reg setting is one of the best of the entire English repertoire (a notch below Howells though)

I didn't express an opinion about Wood! But the fact remains that his settings, even the good ones, turn up on broadcasts far less often than you'd expect.

[ardcarp]

Agree about Ireland in F. One of the less frequently heard Canticle settings these days is Walmisley in D minor. I think it's quite good...quite original in its conception (especially the Mag). The late Arthur Hutchings used to mutter, "Hmm. Quite good for a PERfessor". I suppose it's been done to death in its time , but those SSA bits contrasting with unison men seem to be both effective and rather beautiful. It dates from a time when the standard of singing men was probably a bit 'iffy', if they could be bothered to turn up at all.

[DracoM]

Very decent singing - confident, biggish sound, quite a young back row maybe? Very high-voiced precentor?
Brewer not a favourite of mine either, a thought that maybe pretty early in the term and with a live tx to do, the safe choice?

[Chris Watson]

I love Brewer in D! Would like to know if Stanford nicked the opening melody and transposed it into G or if it was the other way round. Must listen to the broadcast.