CE Southwell Minster 4th Nov 2015

[Triforium]

You can keep Gray in F minor as well.

[light_calibre_baritone]

You can keep Gray in F minor as well.

Nah, quite like Gray in F minor. The Gray anthem, although nicely sung and played was not to my taste!

I've also never been a fan of that bullock piece.

[Finzi4ever]

I did enjoy the psalms - the sensitivity to the words and word painting. The in-house style did hint at the New College background of the diRector (pity BBC continuity had to mispronounce his title). Latest online broadcast from NCO, http://www.newcollegechoir.com/webcasts.html, suggests that Robert Quinney has ditched the method we've known for so long.
Anyway, well done to all at Southwell and thank you to Paul Hale for all he's done there - what a hard act to follow!
Who will it be?

[light_calibre_baritone]

I did enjoy the psalms - the sensitivity to the words and word painting. The in-house style did hint at the New College background of the diRector (pity BBC continuity had to mispronounce his title). Latest online broadcast from NCO, http://www.newcollegechoir.com/webcasts.html, suggests that Robert Quinney has ditched the method we've known for so long.
Anyway, well done to all at Southwell and thank you to Paul Hale for all he's done there - what a hard act to follow!
Who will it be?

Probably an 'autocorrect' moment... Chori could very easily be changed to choir - my iPad just tried to do it!

[ardcarp]

that Gray anthem [..........] Dreadful nonsense, in my opinion.

Yes but music of that era is part of the Anglican tradition, and although unfashionable, perhaps needs to be wheeled out now and again. It's tempting to say Staner's I saw the Lord is dreadful nonsense. Let's face it, a lot of Wesley is mediocre too, but..............

[Miles Coverdale]

Yes but music of that era is part of the Anglican tradition, and although unfashionable, perhaps needs to be wheeled out now and again.

Surely there's enough decent music to fill up a music scheme without resorting to this stuff. Just because something is part of the Anglican tradition doesn't mean it has to be performed, surely? You only have to look at the list on the inside covers of, for example, a Novello edition from the 1920s to see just how much fifth-rate music has fallen by the wayside.

It's tempting to say Staner's I saw the Lord is dreadful nonsense. Let's face it, a lot of Wesley is mediocre too, but..............

Yes, I agree it's awful, and also re. Wesley. Not that much of his stuff is sung these days, as far as I can see.

[Finzi4ever]

Yes, I agree it's awful, and also re. Wesley. Not that much of his stuff is sung these days, as far as I can see.

Beware, the wheel of taste may turn yet again! Besides, there's plenty of room for all, surely? (except for Whitacre & Lauridsen, )
As you can tell from my handle, I hold a diploma from Schola Anglicana Vaccae Excretiensis (or should that be Excrementi) - to parody 12-tone Lizzie Lutyens, and would in church prefer have Bairstow over Berg any day!

[ardcarp]

Whitacre & Lauridsen

I couldn't possibly comment, but I wonder what 'stuff' coming from the pens of 21stC composers will be deemed 'dreadful nonsense' in 100 years' time? Or less? Or more importantly, what will stick?

[chrisjstanley]

The psalms are well worth a couple of listens. Largely as I remember them but of course with some added Hale quirks like Psalm 22 verses 9 to 11 sung by a couple of boys and the extraordinary rit at the end as keraulophone mentioned. But it is certainly the Ashfield Southwell Psalter pointing and chants.

Thanks to all and good luck and a happy retirement to Paul Hale if this does turn out to be the last Southwell choral evensong under his reign as Rector Chori.

bws
Chris S

[light_calibre_baritone]

FYI: The final verse of psalm 23 in the Southwell Psalter departs from the standard 'Anglican' chant and is written out in normal metre, with subtle changes to the original harmony - done, I presume to give weight to the words a little more; Paul Hale's rallantando felt like the culmination of a marvellous 26 years' as Rector Chori.

[light_calibre_baritone]

FYI: The final verse of psalm 23 in the Southwell Psalter departs from the standard 'Anglican' chant and is written out in normal metre, with subtle changes to the original harmony - done, I presume to give weight to the words a little more; Paul Hale's rallantando felt like the culmination of a marvellous 26 years' as Rector Chori.

[Vox Humana]

Just in case there is any doubt, that final verse is Walford Davies' own.

[Magnificat]

The glow-worm anthem is great fun to sing. We recorded it in David Briggs's era on Priory's 'Great Cathedral Anthems Vol.5'. After hearing it broadcast, our senior Lay Vicar enquired of the powers that be whether it might return to the repertory. The reply came that 'Great' was being somewhat loosely applied in the title of that CD!

Keraulophone

I've just been listening to this brilliant anthem the last time it was sung on CE -Barry Rose's last broadcast from St Albans on 3rd December 1997.

Once again The Master shows that what some lesser musicians may regard as base metal is in fact pure gold and indeed justifies being described as a Great Cathedral Anthem.

It is very unfair for DoMs, singers and musical snobs to rubbish Alan Gray, Wesley, and others composers in the Anglican tradition just because they are unable to do their music justice in performance.

VCC

[light_calibre_baritone]

Keraulophone

I've just been listening to this brilliant anthem the last time it was sung on CE -Barry Rose's last broadcast from St Albans on 3rd December 1997.

Once again The Master shows that what some lesser musicians may regard as base metal is in fact pure gold and indeed justifies being described as a Great Cathedral Anthem.

It is very unfair for DoMs, singers and musical snobs to rubbish Alan Gray, Wesley, and others composers in the Anglican tradition just because they are unable to do their music justice in performance.

VCC

One man's rubbish is another man's treasure.

[chrisjstanley]

I agree with l-c-b and magnificat comments regarding taste, tradition etc. Personally, I prefer TTN B minor to Blair and while on the subject of TTN, St T NYC did the same psalms (same chants for 22, Hylton Stewart for 23) on November 4th and the difference between the pointing is most striking. How awkward is the ST NYC English Psalter version.

http://www.saintthomaschurch.org/calendar/events/worship/15436/choral-evensong