CE Liverpool Cathedral Wed, 8th June 2016

[DracoM]

CE Liverpool Cathedral



Order of Service:



Introit: O Lord make thy servant Elizabeth (Byrd)
Responses: Rose
Psalms 41, 42, 43 (Howells, Wesley, Willcocks)
First Lesson: Proverbs 8:1-17
Canticles: Stanford in A
Second Lesson: Revelation 21: 22-22: 4
Anthems: Te Deum in G (Vaughan Williams)
O Lord, support us all the day long (Barry Ferguson)
Hymn: Praise my soul, the King of Heaven


Organ Voluntary: Coronation March - Crown Imperial (Walton)



Associate Organist: Daniel Bishop
Director of Music: David Poulter

[ardcarp]

I wonder if Daniel Bishop will be playing with headphones on? Very difficult, I imagine, to accompany Stanford in A in that incredible acoustic without them.

[DracoM]

Maybe get it on its way back?

[jean]

I was fully intending to be present at this, but on asking when they want the congregation seated by, I find they are considering not having a congregaion at all. They seem to think we might mess with the recording equipment!

Isn't the service always recorded for the Sunday repeat? It's not usual to keep people out because of this, surely?

[DracoM]

Can't recall any poster ever remarking on that before. Has it happened before?
Bad luck, jean.

[Gabriel Jackson]

I was fully intending to be present at this, but on asking when they want the congregation seated by, I find they are considering not having a congregaion at all. They seem to think we might mess with the recording equipment!

Isn't the service always recorded for the Sunday repeat? It's not usual to keep people out because of this, surely?

Hmmm...at the last broadcast Choral Evensong I attended the congregation might as well not have been there, proceedings were conducted as if we weren't there (not the fault of the clergy or the musicians, who were acting under orders), for all that there were even more instructions and lectures as to what were were expected to do. I thought then that they might as well just do a studio recording at Maida Vale in that case - looks like that's what's happeneing here, except the studio is Liverpool Cathedral.

[jean]

It will not rest there, I assure you.

They are to have a meeting tomorrow morning to discuss the matter, and I have sent them an email expressing my strong disapproval.

[ardcarp]

[ardcarp]

There was one CE quite recently where the congregation was obviously joining in the hymn with relish. Unfortunately I can't remember which place it was....was it an Oxbridge college?

[Philip]

I went to a live service at Southwell Minster back in 2011 and the congregation were very much part of it. Maybe it depends on the venue and the situation?

I agree it sounds like very bad form and goes entirely against the principle of the service.

[jean]

I've just received this reply to my email:


Dear Jean

Thank you for your enquiry via the website. I am happy to confirm the person you contacted was incorrect in the information they gave you. All are able to come and if you wish to join the congregation you will be most welcome. You will need to be in your seat by 3pm to enable the recording to take place to the standard the BBC require.

I imagine the person you spoke to was confused about the fact that we do have to close to tourists and general visitors. But they were wrong and I apologise for that and hope you can join the congregation on Wednesday.

With best wishes

Stuart Haynes MCIPR
Director of Communications and Assistant Diocesan Secretary



I have to say though that if the website had made it clearer that people were welcome at the service I wouldn't have contacted the Cathedral at all.

[edit] But I see they've changed it now!

[mopsus]

There was one CE quite recently where the congregation was obviously joining in the hymn with relish. Unfortunately I can't remember which place it was....was it an Oxbridge college?

I think it was the one from Christ Church Oxford. One of broadcast CE's smaller venues so it must present a particular engineering challenge. It's on the iPlayer for a few more hours if you want to check!

[Keraulophone]

There was one CE quite recently where the congregation was obviously joining in the hymn with relish. Unfortunately I can't remember which place it was....was it an Oxbridge college?

Producer Stephen Shipley would always encourage 'normal' singing from the congregation, rightly emphasising the event as a real cathedral/church service as well as a live broadcast. It would be up to the producer, via the balance engineer (I do love that term, reminiscent of EMI's Christopher Parker), to mix a judicious blend of choir, congregation and clergy to send up the line to London. It would seem that more drastic control of the sound may be needed in certain buildings.

[jean]

Producer Stephen Shipley would always encourage 'normal' singing from the congregation...

Several times recently when the BBC have televised something from Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral, the associated adult chamber choir have been asked to sit together and be specially miked, to give the impression that the congregational singing was more enthusiastic than was in fact the case.

As I shall be there tomorrow, you should listen very carefully for my contribution to the final hymn.

[Keraulophone]

As I shall be there tomorrow, you should listen very carefully for my contribution to the final hymn.

I look forward to hearing your personal descant!