Vespers at Hampton Court

[jean]

Tantalising snippets throught yesterday (Feb. 9th) about Vespers in the Chapel of Hampton Court Palace for the first time since the Reformation. I'm still not sure of the occasion for this event, nor the actual music sung, but the Sixteen (for it was they) write:

The Sixteen at Hampton Court

Last night The Sixteen were part of a momentous occasion at The Chapel Royal, as Hampton Court Palace held its first Catholic Service since Henry VIII broke from Rome in the 16th century.

The service was recorded by BBC Radio 3 for a world exclusive broadcast in Choral Evensong on Wednesday 30 March, 3.30 - 4.30pm, and will be repeated at 3pm the following Sunday 3 April 2016.

We were also lucky enough to be featured on yesterday's BBC News at 10pm, so if you missed it why not catch up on iplayer.

Watch now - we are at 28'. 30" mins in. Available until 6.30pm today.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06zv597/bbc-news-at-ten-09022016

[Pulcinella]

What on earth [sic] is a world exclusive broadcast?
I think I know, but I do wonder who writes this drivel!

[teamsaint]

What on earth [sic] is a world exclusive broadcast?
I think I know, but I do wonder who writes this drivel!

it means they paid extra to somebody for the rights, and the rights to call it that, and so on, I would imagine.

I may be a cynical so and so, but some of the corporate money grabbing stuff that goes on in areas of our public life beggars belief.

Just as a frinstance, our armed forces' " Brands", EG RAF/Royal Navy, have those brands " managed" by IMG, the international brand and agency group.
And I happen to know, though shouldn't post, what their truly eye watering commission charges are.

apologies to Jean for going OT, hope Vespers was an enjoyable world exclusive.....

[ardcarp]

Watched the item. As you say, tantalising snippets. Pity we couldn't ditch the Blue Peter history lesson and just hear a bit more! I think there have been many 'reconstructions' (horrible expression) of the Catholic Rite in Anglican buildings, usually with a musical rather than religious intent; though why separate the two?

[jean]

I wouldn't want to separate the two, and I'm not among those who think they can spot the point at which an act of worship becomes a concert. I don't think anyone mentioned the word reconstruction, though they did say that the music was of the period.

There was, of course, a genuine Catholic Archbishop present (a Cardinal, even!) but it's not as if anything actually happens during Vespers as it would, or would not, during Mass according to whether a real priest was (or wasn't) officiating.

.

[subcontrabass]

There was, of course, a genuine Catholic Archbishop present (a Cardinal, even!) but it's not as if anything actually happens during Vespers as it would, or would not, during Mass according to whether a real priest was (or wasn't) officiating.

Who blesses the incense if there is no priest?

[Nevilevelis]

It was a New Rite Vespers i.e. Hymn, 3 Psalms, Short Responsory, Mag.

Not sure of the complete programme, but I know they sang Tallis's five-voice Latin Magnificat and Taverner's Leroy Kyrie as an introit - not sure how the latter fits into Vespers, but it's new Rite, so... I hear the psalms were deathly slow! All will be revealed!

The Magnificat is preserved in John Baldwin's handsome Elizabethan part-books and paired with a Nunc. The part-books lack their Tenor. There is an edition by Jon Dixon who has reconstructed the missing part and also one by Stephen Rice, I think. Dixon's ed. has one mistake in it, which sadly, has found its way into the new Tenor part! I'm not sure if they used that edition. Sally Dunkley may have done one, I suppose. I can find out. I have just completed one of my own! Nick Sandon's suggestion that it is a pair of late Henrician provenance is pretty much on the money in my view.

http://classicalplus.gmn.com/classical/work.asp?id=209&notes=true&webcast=true

I hear the Beeb wouldn't stump up the august MD's four figure fee - unsurprising! I'm not sure who paid it. Probably their wealthy patron, John J. Studzinski (a devout Catholic) but I am speculating!

(FF, I can remove the above, if you think it's out of order. A bit gossipy, I'll admit. Do so yourself, if need be!)

NVV.

[Nevilevelis]

Watched the item. As you say, tantalising snippets. Pity we couldn't ditch the Blue Peter history lesson and just hear a bit more! I think there have been many 'reconstructions' (horrible expression) of the Catholic Rite in Anglican buildings, usually with a musical rather than religious intent; though why separate the two?

I sang New Rite Vespers at St. Paul's Cathedral a couple of weeks ago. Westm. C., Westm. Abbey & St. Paul's regularly sing their services in one another's places as part of Christian Unity Week.

[jean]

New Rite Vespers could never be a reconstruction!

[Nick Armstrong]

Sumptuous-looking photos here

[jean]

No sign of anyone blessing any incense.

[jean]

...they sang Tallis's five-voice Latin Magnificat...

...The Magnificat is preserved in John Baldwin's handsome Elizabethan part-books and paired with a Nunc...

If it's Latin it's presumably before the Prayer Book, but if it really is a pair with the Nunc it's not written fro Vespers, is it?

[Nevilevelis]

New Rite Vespers could never be a reconstruction!

No indeed, 'twas the real thing!

[Nevilevelis]

If it's Latin it's presumably before the Prayer Book, but if it really is a pair with the Nunc it's not written fro Vespers, is it?

I see no reason why one shouldn't sing it at Vespers.

From my own notes (still in progress)

"The sole source for this distinctive set of evening canticles is preserved in an incomplete set of Elizabethan part-books in the library of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford in the fine hand of John Baldwin (1560-1615), a singer at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor and subsequently at the Chapel Royal.

The Latin rite proscribes the Magnificat for Vespers and the Nunc dimittis for Compline, whereas in the English rite they are sung together at Evensong. A Magnificat & Nunc dimittis pair under the old rite would not have been permissible, and since Tallis’s set shares identical openings and other musical material, it is reasonable to assume that they were written during Elizabeth’s reign and authorized for liturgical use using Walter Haddon’s Latin translation of the prayer book. So far, so good, but according to the inventories of polyphonic music from King’s College, Cambridge in 1529 it would appear that Walter Lambe and John Fayrfax coupled these two evening canticles in their Latin forms. So too at Magdalen College, Oxford in 1522/4 we find mention of two choir-books containing ‘Magnificat et Nunc Dimittis ac Antiphonarum’ in five to seven parts. Tallis adheres to the pre-Reformation practice of setting the even-numbered verses to polyphony, but eschews the ecstatic melismas of the older style, fashionable for nearly 40 years from 1485 to 1525 as exemplified by the aforementioned composers, and others represented in the Eton Choir Book. Sections for reduced forces are not employed either and he avoids faburden and cantus firmus (‘counter’ in England and ‘contrapunctus’ on the Continent), the practice of embedding a psalm tone or plainsong melody in long notes within a polyphonic framework.

The existing material (lacking its Tenor) shows an economical pair of canticles strong in imitative counterpoint and syllabic declamation. Although the constant use of imitation is a trademark of Tallis’s late style there is abundant evidence for this in a number of works undoubtedly in existence by 1540, such as Taverner’s antiphon Fac nobis secundum hoc nomen suave and Tye’s Missa Sine nomine. Could this point to a set of late Henrician provenance? Overall they display traits easily identifiable in works certain to have been written by Tallis in the 1540’s. Perhaps dwindling vocal resources not suited to the florid old style, and the demands of the early Reformation as articulated in a letter by Archbishop Cranmer to Henry VIII for “music not full of notes, but, as near as may be, for every syllable a note, so that it may be sung distinctly and devoutly”, were determining factors in writing polyphony that (as much mid-Tudor sacred music did) reflected the tastes at court for French chanson and also kept those in power satisfied. Tallis may have been ahead of the game. His long career was notable for an ability to write whatever was required of him under ‘Fower sovereygnes reignes’ in times of tumultuous social and religious change. It is important to note that even after his split with Rome, Henry VIII was still a devout Catholic, the Sarum rite was in continual observance and the sweeping reforms of the full Reformation would only take effect during the reign of his son, Edward VI which began in 1547."

NVV

[Miles Coverdale]

It was a New Rite Vespers i.e. Hymn, 3 Psalms, Short Responsory, Mag.

Not sure of the complete programme, but I know they sang Tallis's five-voice Latin Magnificat and Taverner's Leroy Kyrie as an introit - not sure how the latter fits into Vespers, but it's new Rite, so... I hear the psalms were deathly slow! All will be revealed!

The Magnificat is preserved in John Baldwin's handsome Elizabethan part-books and paired with a Nunc. The part-books lack their Tenor. There is an edition by Jon Dixon who has reconstructed the missing part and also one by Stephen Rice, I think. Dixon's ed. has one mistake in it, which sadly, has found its way into the new Tenor part! I'm not sure if they used that edition. Sally Dunkley may have done one, I suppose. I can find out. I have just completed one of my own! Nick Sandon's suggestion that it is a pair of late Henrician provenance is pretty much on the money in my view.

The piece is also the subject of an interesting article in Early Music by Stephen Rice. John Milsom has also made an edition which was, I think, recorded by New College a number of years ago.