Archive of Recorded Church Music

[Wolsey]

There is a YouTube treasure trove here, and this sub-section will occupy many here for hours.

[DracoM]

Many thx. Some fascinating sounds!

[EdgeleyRob]

Thanks for this.
I wonder if could be included in the reference library.

[chitreb]

There is a YouTube treasure trove here, and this sub-section will occupy many here for hours.

It certainly does!

New posting of rare footage of St Michael's Tenbury directed by one of our regular contributors.

BBC TV “A Worcestershire Carol”: St Michael’s Tenbury 1978 (Roger Judd):

https://t.co/4kExDQAnqT

[DracoM]

Couldn't believe the speed of Canterbury / Allan Wicks's psalm singing!
Crikey! Nowhere to hide!
'And-a-to the Father......'.

[Gabriel Jackson]

Couldn't believe the speed of Canterbury / Allan Wicks's psalm singing!
Crikey! Nowhere to hide!
'And-a-to the Father......'.

The 1965 broadcast? Seems very natural and normal to me. Allan took enormous care over the psalms.
I don't remember those final 'd's being quite so very distinct - maybe he relaxed a bit about that by the time I was there.

[Miles Coverdale]

There is a YouTube treasure trove here.

For those who are interested in such things, I'm pretty sure the picture at the top of the page shows an HMV recording van outside the west end of Hereford Cathedral, where the company went in 1927 to record Holst’s Hymn of Jesus, which was being performed in that year’s Three Choirs Festival.

[Wolsey]

It seems that the YouTube archive I mentioned earlier is but a mere amuse-bouche. The riches are to be found here.

[DracoM]

The speed they sing at in the early recordings........crikey! How things have changed.
Were they allowed less time than today's 55 or so mins?

MANY thx for link.

[Miles Coverdale]

Certainly. I don't remember when it changed, but in the 1980s there were two weekly broadcasts of Evensong, one pre-recorded and one live, both of 45 minutes.

[Finzi4ever]

Certainly. I don't remember when it changed, but in the 1980s there were two weekly broadcasts of Evensong, one pre-recorded and one live, both of 45 minutes.

The two, separate b/cs per week was a relatively short-lived phenomenon, in terms of the number of years CE has been running. The 45-minute format always faded out the voluntary within a few bars of starting (a sin rarely committed now and little short of insulting, if not treasonous) and the services seldom contained introits or more than one hymn, usually the office hymn.

[Miles Coverdale]

The two, separate b/cs per week was a relatively short-lived phenomenon, in terms of the number of years CE has been running. The 45-minute format always faded out the voluntary within a few bars of starting (a sin rarely committed now and little short of insulting, if not treasonous) and the services seldom contained introits or more than one hymn, usually the office hymn.

True, so more in keeping with the notion that the listener was 'eavesdropping' on a weekday service. Most places don't have an introit regularly, or more than one hymn, and certainly don't stick in a quick Te Deum or the like to make it up to an hour.

[Radegund]

For interest, I have dug out some old cuttings from the Radio Times. On a Wednesday in May 1984, Choral Evensong was scheduled from 4 to 4.55. By November 1989 it was a full hour, 4–5. I don't know when the programme acquired the extra five minutes.

Certainly. I don't remember when it changed, but in the 1980s there were two weekly broadcasts of Evensong, one pre-recorded and one live, both of 45 minutes.

[Miles Coverdale]

To judge from the page where broadcasts are shown in chronological order, the change from 45 to 55 minutes occurred around 1981/2, and the extra five minutes were added between 1985 and 1991.

[inquires]

For those who are interested in such things, I'm pretty sure the picture at the top of the page shows an HMV recording van outside the west end of Hereford Cathedral, where the company went in 1927 to record Holst’s Hymn of Jesus, which was being performed in that year’s Three Choirs Festival.

You are correct, it is the HMV van outside of Hereford for the recording of the Three Choirs Festival. Archive of Recorded Church Music is my site and I am pleased that listeners are enjoying the various musical offerings.