A Service for Epiphany Wed, Jan 4th 2017

[DracoM]

A Service for Epiphany Wed, Jan 4th 2017
The Chapel of King's College, London


Order of Service:


Hymn: From east to west, from shore to shore (A solis ortus cardine)
Reading: John 1: 1-5
Hymn: Of the Father's heart begotten (Divinum mysterium)
Reading: Matthew 1: 18-23
Motet: Hodie Christus natus est (Poulenc)
Reading: Immanence (Evelyn Underhill)
Motet: O magnum mysterium (Poulenc)
Reading: Luke 2: 8-20
Motet: Quem vidistis, pastores? (Poulenc)
Reading: Matthew 2: 1-15
Motet: Videntes stellam (Poulenc)
Reading: Journey of the Magi (T.S.Eliot)
Motet: Friede auf Erden (Schoenberg)
Hymn: As with gladness men of old (Dix)


Organ Voluntary: Epiphanie (Litaize)

Organ Scholar: James Orford
Director of Music: Joseph Fort




NB: please excuse early posting.

[underthecountertenor]

A Service for Epiphany Wed, Jan 4th 2017
The Chapel of King's College, London


Order of Service:


Hymn: From east to west, from shore to shore (A solis ortus cardine)
Reading: John 1: 1-5
Hymn: Of the Father's heart begotten (Divinum mysterium)
Reading: Matthew 1: 18-23
Motet: Hodie Christus natus est (Poulenc)
Reading: Immanence (Evelyn Underhill)
Motet: O magnum mysterium (Poulenc)
Reading: Luke 2: 8-20
Motet: Quem vidistis, pastores? (Poulenc)
Reading: Matthew 2: 1-15
Motet: Videntes stellam (Poulenc)
Reading: Journey of the Magi (T.S.Eliot)
Motet: Friede auf Erden (Schoenberg)
Hymn: As with gladness men of old (Dix)


Organ Voluntary: Epiphanie (Litaize)

Organ Scholar: James Orford
Director of Music: Joseph Fort




NB: please excuse early posting.

Surely the BBC should be asking us to excuse the premature Epiphany broadcast? Looks as if the magi were warned in a dream not to use national rail services this year.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Looks as if the magi were warned in a dream not to use national rail services this year.

A mishearing of "Virgin Berthed", perhaps?

[DracoM]

"R3 announces the early arrival of Epiphany on Platform Choral Evensong at 15.30 today."

[DracoM]

Woops, sorry, KCL, but the Schoenberg was pretty shrill and grating. Not sure how you DO perform it and sound pleasing. He's a composer I have come to admire a lot, but this outing was ....erm........well..............
Eliot reading, probably predictably, the best on the sheet.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Not sure how you DO perform it and sound pleasing.

Probably not with boys!

It's a lovely piece, very difficult (I have sung in it) but not far from the style of the Second Quartet or the First Chamber Symphony. It needs good (non-wobbly) women Sopranos and Mezzos/Contraltos who can soar effortlessly without screeching - the last couple of pages should be gentle, gorgeous, and resonous (it is now!).

[jean]

Probably not with boys!

No boys in the choir of KCL...

(Haven't heard this yet)

[DracoM]

Yes, realise you were not being entirely serious, but ferney, totally agree!!
My guess is that any DoM setting out with the usual cathedral choir might blanch at taking this on - the idea of 8-12 yr olds navigating the musical switchback in this would deter even the mightiest!
KCL has a pretty good reputation and even they sounded severely tested.

[Miles Coverdale]

Yes, realise you were not being entirely serious, but ferney, totally agree!!
My guess is that any DoM setting out with the usual cathedral choir might blanch at taking this on - the idea of 8-12 yr olds navigating the musical switchback in this would deter even the mightiest!
KCL has a pretty good reputation and even they sounded severely tested.

I think Michael Nicholas used to do it at Norwich.

[ardcarp]

I think KCL should be congratulated for tackling very demanding stuff. The four Poulenc motets, whilst 'standard repertoire' I suppose, are not easy to bring off. My own take on the service was that there was too much 'spoken word'. At one point I thought it lapsed into a first-year undergraduate lecture on the 2nd Viennese School!

[mopsus]

My own take on the service was that there was too much 'spoken word'.

And I found a couple of the spoken voices grated on the ear (not that of a friend who spoke one of the readings!) Even phrases such as 'the joy of the Gospel' sounded depressing.

[oddoneout]

I didn't hear much of this but did like the matter of fact reading of the T S Eliot - there is a tendency for it to be precious or intense, but this, to me, sounded like the recollection of a long ago journey it is meant to be. The Videntes is an abiding joy for me,whether to sing or hear, so welcome. Found the Schoenberg a bit difficult to take after the Poulenc, but don't know how much that was performance, and how much inherent lack of connection on my part.

[ardcarp]

I too thought the reading of The Journey of the Magi was excellent. It's a possibly over-exposed piece, but as you say, it was delivered to perfection. The Schoenberg is a tricky one. How should I explain my thoughts? Calling it a 'Late Romantic' piece is I suppose the clue. Schoenberg was still working around tonal centres, but shifting ones. As soon as you think, 'Ah! We're heading to this one', he pulls the rug out and off you topple in search of the next. I think to sing it convincingly, one needs to have the geography of those elusive tonal centres firmly in mind. It's a tall order.

[mw963]

The comments on the Schoenberg made me go and listen to it, having missed this broadcast as a result of the long line of repeats/colleges/non-cathedral venues this winter (see another thread).

Whilst I'd hardly choose the Schoenberg for easy pleasure, I'd rather have hours of that than a single minute of Leighton, or a few other of the championed "favourites" of so many of this forum's members. At least most of the Schoenberg didn't grate.

Actually I was put in mind of Verklärte Nacht - certainly in places.

(I'm sure I'll get flack for those comments about Leighton, but I just CAN'T ABIDE his music. Having said that, this forum is such an odd place. When I said I didn't like a voluntary of Francis Pott a couple of years ago, no fewer than THREE people joined FOR3 Forum - apparently there and then - to tell me I was wrong. Not one of them has made a single other subsequent contribution. Oxbridge Mafia? You know who you are, fagotto 16', manyexcellentgifs, and 82ARO. Tee hee)

[oddoneout]

The Schoenberg is a tricky one. How should I explain my thoughts? Calling it a 'Late Romantic' piece is I suppose the clue. Schoenberg was still working around tonal centres, but shifting ones. As soon as you think, 'Ah! We're heading to this one', he pulls the rug out and off you topple in search of the next. I think to sing it convincingly, one needs to have the geography of those elusive tonal centres firmly in mind. It's a tall order.

If it came up again in a different context and with a suitable choir I would probably choose to listen, although not necessarily enjoy! I'm not a fan of the romantics, but early Schoenberg suffers less from the automatic off switch on my part, likewise his later offerings. I don't share my mother's sentiments 'where did it go wrong?', and can see why many rate him, but I don't go out of my way to hear his music.