Ceremony of Carols on R4

[rauschwerk]

Right, so the 'problem' of negotiating 'the difficult melisma in Wolcum Yule' invalidates performances by boys or whoever YOUNG voices in C of C, does it?

Of course not! I'm only saying I'd like to hear it done by adults for once.

[Mary Chambers]

Of course not! I'm only saying I'd like to hear it done by adults for once.

It is quite often done by adults, as no doubt you know. I've sung it myself. There is even a version for SATB choir, which I don't think is a good idea, but I believe Britten approved it.

[Awkwardlistener]

A truly brilliant treble sound. Strong, colourful, and agile up and down the whole register. Quite reminiscent of Wells in their heyday.

[Nevilevelis]

This is one of the most magical of his choral masterpieces and I adore it. My favourite rec. is still the St . John's/Guest one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQyunriE1zg

I haven't yet managed to hear this - more anon. when I do, but for now a link to the very interesting notes for the Trinity Cam/Layton rec. http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA67946 which reveal Britten's original idea that it would be sung by adults and was indeed given its premiere by the women of St. Bride's, Fleet Street, who still sing it every year. Of course, by the time of publication, he had changed his mind.

I note with interest that he sought the assistance of an "expert" for the later inclusion of the Mag. ant. Hodie. Yet, according to all the available semiological and quadratic sources available I have seen, it contains a number of errors. This is the clearest link I can find on the www to a standard quadratic transcription. http://chantblog.blogspot.co.uk/2010...-est-2009.html Note the quadratic pes (a tick in the semiology) in which both notes are lengthened. I really do wonder what his source was. I would be sorely tempted to amend these apparent errors if I were to conduct a performance, since it would not jarr against Britten's use of the material throughout the work. Incidentally, Britten also mistranscribed the plainsong in the Hymn to St Peter. The very greatest of composers, but perhaps not the greatest musicologist. I am avowed Briiten enthusiast, by the way, but no apologist.

I sang in a concert quite a number of years ago in King's College Chapel, Cambridge where the boys did this in the first half and joined us for A Boy was Born after the interval. I sat in the choir stalls and listened in the half-light and can still smell that peculiar ancient stone odour - I know not how else to describe it. The mold of ages, probably.

[ardcarp]

I too dislike the SATB version. For what it's worth I first taught the proper version to girls at a Catholic convent school where I did some moonlighting to support my postgrad years. My God, they gave it some wellie! Maybe a reaction to the gentle, benign but very proper regime of thr Sisters. My only sadness was not being able to afford a harpist.

Nev, I too love Guest's recording, but David Hill and WCC is the one I play most. I seem to remember that Britten gets a note 'wrong' in the Te Lucis Ante Terminum plainsong. Can't remember which work....a church parable?

[Magnificat]

I too dislike the SATB version. For what it's worth I first taught the proper version to girls at a Catholic convent school where I did some moonlighting to support my postgrad years. My God, they gave it some wellie! Maybe a reaction to the gentle, benign but very proper regime of thr Sisters. My only sadness was not being able to afford a harpist.

ardcarp

For several years the Abbey Girls Choir ( girls aged 10 to 14 ) at St Albans, under Simon Johnson, used to feature Britten's Ceremony of Carols at Christmas Eve Evensong giving some quite stunning performances often to a congregation of 800 or more people.

VCC

[jean]

I note with interest that he sought the assistance of an "expert" for the later inclusion of the Mag. ant. Hodie. Yet, according to all the available semiological and quadratic sources available I have seen, it contains a number of errors. This is the clearest link I can find on the www to a standard quadratic transcription. http://chantblog.blogspot.co.uk/2010...-est-2009.html Note the quadratic pes (a tick in the semiology) in which both notes are lengthened. I really do wonder what his source was.

The Liber Usualis, which is the source reprinted on that blog, is actually an edition prepared by the Solesmes monks; not everyone agrees with their interpretation and their markings.

Alec Robertson (the 'expert' consulted by Britten) was deeply involved in the controversies over the 'correct' way to sing plainsong - if you look up the archives of the Tablet you will see just how heated a discussion it was! Robertson was a senior reviewer for the Gramophone and he usually reviewed mass settings and other religious works for them.

So I'm not sure we can really talk about errors.

IMO anything is better than singing plainsong accompanied, as the monks do on the blog you quote. But I've heard it argued that such accompaniment is just part of a natural evolution of the chant...

[Nevilevelis]

The Liber Usualis, which is the source reprinted on that blog, is actually an edition prepared by the Solesmes monks; not everyone agrees with their interpretation and their markings.

Yes, I know. I sing from it every day, and have done so for the last 20 or so years. I also prepare editions for the original semiology, the fruits of which you will be able to hear in a couple of weeks on Radio 3. I provided a standard quadratic transcription so that people could note the differences and also look at the semiolgical source which is quite clear in the matter of rising pairs of notes (pes) A couple are wrong in Britten's version according to the sources I have seen. I made that clear, I thought.

Also, I am not advocating any particular style of chant performance by providing the link. It seems you are jumping to a conclusion there.

Do read Dom Cardine's Gregorian Semiology, if you haven't already. It far surpasses much else written on the matter.

So I'm not sure we can really talk about errors.

I am talking about errors. WE are disagreeing. I just put my views on intervallic content and rhythmic interpretation forward - the latter tacitly if you examine the earliest source in the link. But of course, as you know, rhythm in chant is not an a priori system.

[fsharpminor]

ardcarp

For several years the Abbey Girls Choir ( girls aged 10 to 14 ) at St Albans, under Simon Johnson, used to feature Britten's Ceremony of Carols at Christmas Eve Evensong giving some quite stunning performances often to a congregation of 800 or more people.

VCC

The Abbey Girls still do so - as they did last Christmas Eve - under Mr Johnson's successor, Tom Winpenny

[Mary Chambers]

I can't pretend to know much about this question, but I do know that Britten would have altered any 'correct' version of anything if it suited him to do so.