CE Chapel of St John's College, Cambridge - Sunday 27th Nov 2016 at 3pm

[Alison]

Come thou long expected is my favourite hymn bar none.

[Nick Armstrong]

Yes fantastic service. As usual, I made a start on Christmas cards while it was on, and as I wanted to do a few more after it finished, I put on last year's service, a copy of which I retained

While I think the choice of music was even more up my street last year (inc. the revelation of Howells's Westminster Abbey Magnificat), if anything the sound this year was even better, the organ being rendered with floor-shaking presence

I'll listen again as for some reason, I missed (or wasn't concentrating on) the Britten, which I want to hear properly.

Terrific start to Advent

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I am pleased to see the Christopher Robinson descants. Stephen Cleobury could learn a thing or two!!

All SC has to do is use other people's descants. Then everything would be fine.

[Mr Stoat]

Sadly missed the service as I was fulfilling an emergency playing engagement. I was so looking forward to it too!

[Petrushka]

Sadly missed the service as I was fulfilling an emergency playing engagement. I was so looking forward to it too!

It's on the I-player http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b083qpdf and the complete order of service is here http://www.joh.cam.ac.uk/advent-caro...-order-service

[Alison]

Still think I prefer Wachet Auf at the end!

Yes it was lacklustre last year as has been pointed out.

[Mr Stoat]

It's on the I-player http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b083qpdf and the complete order of service is here http://www.joh.cam.ac.uk/advent-caro...-order-service

Not the same - "live" services are just that. I missed it!

[DracoM]

Nun kommt did it for me.

My problem with the choir's repertoire - not, repeat NOT with their musicianship and commitment - was that it felt on air just a bit samey, maybe dictated by the decision to confine the card to mostly 20th / 21st century. I know, I know.............

Ironically, the piece they had to work at VERY, very hard was one of my least favourite - the Walton Magnificat! It is demanding on many levels, but have to say it was pretty well executed. Mr Wicks had a fair bit of work to do throughout as well and was not found wanting.

I liked the Archer, the Shaw, the Burton; the Comeau started promisingly and then for me slipped back into generic carol.

Descants got a bit lost now and again, but the lads hung in there!

And the Gibbons showed the choir singing quietly, a delight - for the most part elsewhere it was / felt like f and more. Old story: any choir can sing loudly, but only the very best can sing quietly and deliver wonderful.

[Pulcinella]

I would have thought that they had to work hard at everything, Draco, especially some of the unaccompanied stuff.
Long time since I'd heard the Joubert: I just adore the final Transeamus!

[Petrushka]

Not the same - "live" services are just that. I missed it!

I sympathise as I can never listen to Choral Evensong due to working full time so have to make do with the Sunday repeat or I-player. Have to do the same with the King's Christmas Eve service if I'm working but not this year (hooray!). Agree, it's not the same if it's not live.

[ardcarp]

GREATLY looking forward to a no-doubt fruity and full alto solo in the Gibbons! I have always been particularly impressed by the consistently stella alto section that Nethsingha manages to assemble!

I trust you were not disappointed l-c-m!

I thought the choir was in terrific shape. Some of the very exposed treble lines, at times angular and full of difficult chromatic (and/or tritone intervals) were negotiated without a fear in the world. From me full marks to St John's.

I can see Draco's point about the repertoire, though I personally enjoyed it. I wonder how much St John's plan to include a lot of contemporary commissions would appeal to 'everyman' tuning in to hear some trad carols? But maybe they leave that to Kings.....

[DracoM]

Good point about 'trad to KCC'.
I need to listen again to get individual flavours of new comps.

And absolute yes to the BOYS' skills / Nethsingha's care - some ferociously tricky pitching and entries across pretty unhelpful textures at times, but like Ariel, they scorned the earth.