CE Portsmouth Cathedral 26th Sept 2015

[subcontrabass]

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.

Stanford died in 1924. The Brewer was written for the Three Choirs Festival in 1927.

[jean]

Very high-voiced precentor?

Unless it was a woman.

[subcontrabass]

Unless it was a woman.

As indicated on the cathedral website.

[Chris Watson]

So Brewer was the nicker, concious or otherwise. Still love the piece.

[Magnificat]

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.

ardcarp

Ireland in F is absolutely the best setting ever written if sung by a choir directed by St Barry.

VCC

[Finzi4ever]

ardcarp

Ireland in F is absolutely the best setting ever written if sung by a choir directed by St Barry.

VCC

The Glorias in both the Brewer and Ireland work very well (esp. the walking bass in F-in-Ireland). I'd be sad to see either drop from the repertoire and good that they get an airing on CE. Truth be told, they often work better than the "we're on the air this week, better wheel out that thing that we had specially written 5 years ago that'll show we're cutting edge".

[ardcarp]

This was surely the best ever broadcast from Portsmouth! There was some real music making here. The choir had great blend, great dynamic range...quiet sensitive moments contrasted with plenty of wellie when needed. And Brewer certainly was not boring here. In fact although there were pot boilers (Brewer and Harris) the music was well chosen for the choir's strengths. I thought the Leighton responses were exceptionally musically sung.

Can anyone in the know tell us a bit about how the choir is constituted these days? There sounded to be some quite young and 'straight' men's voices.

[subcontrabass]

Can anyone in the know tell us a bit about how the choir is constituted these days? There sounded to be some quite young and 'straight' men's voices.

From the Cathedral website: "The Cathedral Choir is made up of twenty-four boy choristers and fourteen gentlemen (made up of seven lay-clerks and up to seven choral scholars)"