CE Truro Cathedral Wed, 3rd Feb 2016

[jonfan]

What exemplary psalm singing! It had a sense of urgency that kept your attention but without rushing A long psalm but I could have listened for another 50 verses! 10 verses were omitted anyway. With words like 'fire out of his mouth','hailstones and coals of fire','he cast forth lightnings' and 'blasting of the breath', how can any organist resist.

[ardcarp]

Leaving aside the psalm and the sortie, may I add that it takes a deal of confidence for a choir with young choristers to tackle Josquin, Parsons and Guerrero in a live broadcast. It is easy enough for trebles to learn and be enthused by typical Anglican repertoire pieces, but it takes real musicianship to navigate the pre-Reformation world and to realise it with such surety.

[NHTL]

I caught the train down to Truro from Plymouth yesterday to attend this choral evensong. What a wonderful experience, and Ardcarp that Willis organ sounded wonderful ‘In the flesh.’ Interestingly the Dean said before the service that the choir had been beset by colds and ‘flu but would do their best!

I found the service a wonderful mix of true worship and performance. Listening to the recording last evening, I felt that the BBC engineers had made a first class job of capturing, with clarity, the atmosphere of the service.

Thank you to all concerned.

[Cornet IV]

Hang about a bit....organists have to do something to relieve the monotony of playing the same tune over and over.
Seriously though, Cornet, there was a change of chant...didn't you notice? I thought the Psalm was most enjoyable as was the rest of the CE (though I could have done without the mini-sermon before the anthem...it spoils the flow).

Many congrats to Truro for an enterprising choice of music and for executing it so well. As always, an example for some other places nearer the hub of civilisation!

As for Karg Elert,why not?

(Apparently his favourite instrument was the kunstharmonium:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunstharmonium

...and if IIRC his organ works...some of them anyway...cite it as an alternative.)

Edit: If the above link is unhelpful, then.....

"in 1904 he [Karg Elert] met the Berlin publisher Carl Simon, who introduced him to the harmonium. From then on until his death he created one of the most significant and extensive catalogs of original works for this instrument. Encouraged by the organist Paul Homeyer, he reworked several of these harmonium compositions for organ"

Ardcarp, my dear fellow - you will have divined from my moniker that I'm not wholly unacquainted with the disciplines of psalmodic accompaniment but I very much accept your point; it is no less valid because of its tongue-in-cheek nature. And no, shame on me, I didn't notice the change of chant. I suspect I must have been concentrating on the organ for this is one of my absolute favourites (in England anyway). It is a total delight to play and hear at the same time - something not always possible with many instruments. I am very much of the view that if a psalm is well sung, it requires no accompaniment. Truro are of this standard (as was Wells a couple of weeks ago; Matthew Owens is doing good things here) and this they again demonstrated yesterday.

I agree, it was an enterprising choice of programme material. Until the end. Rather than ask "why not?" Karg-Elert, I would enquire "why?" That he wrote all that stuff for the harmonium says it all, in my view. However, I seem to remember Verdi doing something similar with that asthmatic horror and I like Verdi . . . . . . .

[ardcarp]

Maybe the harmonium will have its day!

Interestingly the Dean said before the service that the choir had been beset by colds and ‘flu but would do their best!

That makes it all the more praiseworthy.

[UmTheMagnificat]

Cornet IV's Contradictory Comments

It must be a couple of years since I last enthused about the wonderful Evensong provided by Truro. I thought this a superlative offering; the only thing causing a furrowed brow was the many changes of registration in the psalm - I found these, seemingly made at every verse, a little distracting - although the temptation to do this, with what in my judgment is Henry Willis's finest creation, is hard to resist.

I have been reminded of this earlier performance by this afternoon's broadcast which I enjoyed almost as much. However, it has to be admitted that at 51 verses, Psalm 18 does go on a bit and requires some change of colours to avoid an excess of ennui. If I had been in charge, I might have been tempted to change the chant at half time. Never mind, Truro have done well again.

Pity I can't agree about the Karg Elert; I've always considered him dull with his music banal. Given the "early music" style of the service, as a contrast, I should like to have had a BWV for the Voluntary - 533 as a suggestion.

Cornet IV is quite right that the choir needs no accompaniment, hence its rehearsing Psalms unaccompanied I gather.
And why on earth Bond chose a piece based on an Ave Maria plainsong (matching the Josquin), composed for a romantic instrument, I have no idea.
I also agree that the choir's 3 changes of chant in the psalm were far too subtle and perhaps only detectable by those blessed with ears or eyes-very rare things these days.
Maybe he is one rank short of a mounted cornet.

[ardcarp]

Welcome if this is your first visit, UnThe Magnificat. I suppose I've been flying a sort of flag for Karg Elert. Not one of the greats, I agree, but (a) I don't see why UnTheGreats shouldn't be aired from time to time, and (b) there is no rule, written or un-written, that says every item in CE has to match in style and period.

[BBMmk2]

What was the Karg-Elert work like? I rather like his music

[Cornet IV]

Cornet IV is quite right that the choir needs no accompaniment, hence its rehearsing Psalms unaccompanied I gather.
And why on earth Bond chose a piece based on an Ave Maria plainsong (matching the Josquin), composed for a romantic instrument, I have no idea.
I also agree that the choir's 3 changes of chant in the psalm were far too subtle and perhaps only detectable by those blessed with ears or eyes-very rare things these days.
Maybe he is one rank short of a mounted cornet.

Ah! A friend at last! And my welcome too, UnTheMagnificat. I'm afraid that I'm now much too old to be mounted by anything, least of all by another rank, so have to be content with being stuck with IV. Perhaps, in order to avoid wistful memories of younger days, I should revert to the "Sesquialtera" of my time on the old BBC site. But "Scharf" is more convenient. Nevertheless, I'm obliged to admit that I'm often short of something - usually money.

One of my original points was that whilst I thought the Truro material was quite imaginitive in its compilation, the programme, for me at any rate, seemed a little "time-warp stuck". Admittedly, the Voluntary was of a very different era but in my view, too similar in character to what had preceded it; hence my suggesting an arresting contrast. In no sense was it to suggest that there was a rule, "written or un-written, that says every item in CE has to match in style and period" - indeed, I was supporting ardcarp's contention.

I do miss the lively conversations which characterised the organ "division" of the original forum.

[ardcarp]

Do try starting them off on our dedicated Organ sub-section, Cornet!

BBM, Karg Elert's organ music is of its time....uber Romantic and maybe a bit saccharine at times. The piece closing CE, although based on Ave Maria, showed off nicely some of the colours of Truro's Willis....and, pax, Cornet, was nothing like any of the preceeding music!

[chitreb]

Just caught up on iPlayer. Lovely tone and balance from both choir and organ. Thank you once again Truro for some delightful singing and an interesting selection of music.