CE Truro Cathedral Wed, 8th March 2017

[DracoM]

CE Truro Cathedral
International Women's Day


Order of Service:


Responses: Sasha Johnson Manning (first broadcast)
Office Hymn: Safe in the hands of God (Bunillidh)
Psalms 41, 42, 43 (Manning)
First Lesson: Genesis 11: 1-9
Truro Canticles by Dobrinka Tabakova (first broadcast)
Second Lesson: Matthew 24 vv.15-28
Anthem: Deus, Deus meus (Roxanna Panufnik)
Final Hymn: God is working his purpose out (Benson)


Organ Voluntary: Prelude and Fugue on 'O Traurigkeit, O Herzeleid' (Ethel Smyth)


Organist: Luke Bond
Director of Music: Christopher Gray

[EdgeleyRob]

Thanks DM,that got me googling Ethel Smyth organ music today

[DracoM]

Hey, good research!

[DracoM]

Reminder: today @ 3.30 p.m.

[mw963]

Fantastic singing, every word clear; sounded as though that Girls' Choir had been in place since Truro was built.

Absolutely knocked out by the chants! Loved the voluntary too.

But what were all those bangs and crashes? The first one happened when I was out in the kitchen having a cup of tea so was heard via a portable radio rather than the hi-fi, so not quite as scary as the ones that followed. Even the cat - who is rather deaf and normally impervious to CE, jumped a couple of times.

And oh, that silly silly girl in Con, leaping in yet again to ruin the atmosphere at the end.

KATIE - FOR GOODNESS SAKE HAVE SOME RESPECT BOTH FOR THE ORGAN VOLUNTARY AND FOR THE TRADITIONS OF RADIO 3, OF WHICH YOU SO CLEARLY ARE UNAWARE. How anyone with so little sensitivity gets to work in Radio 3 Con is beyond me. It's been a treat to have Katriona Young (who has a long and deep understanding of Radio 3) presiding in recent weeks, rather than Ms Dereham.

Sorry, harsh words, but all our entreaties in the past have been ignored.

[oddoneout]

I thought the singing excellent too, although I found the balance between voices and organ not so good in places - I had to have the sound up louder than I would have liked to be able to hear the choir. I thought the bangs and crashes might have been weather related as it does seem to be coming from the west at present?
And I agree with your comment about KD bursting in and her style of delivery made it especially irritating - not helped by the fact I hadn't got to the volume switch in time....

[DracoM]

Typical Christopher Gray: lets the music flow, lets singers express, and this team responded rewardingly.
VERY fine CE: loved the Panufnik particularly, and to my surprise, the Ethel Smyth

[Keraulophone]

But what were all those bangs and crashes?

Demolition in BHS across the road!

[mw963]

Oh superb!! Thanks Keraulophone.

[ardcarp]

Demolition in BHS across the road!

I thought someone was dropping grand pianos from a great height. Oh and I agree about the continuity announcer.
That apart, a great CE. Panufnik stole the show for me...what poise that soprano solo had. Dame Ethel's organ piece was obviously indebted to her studies in Germany with Herzogengurberg...he of the Bach/Brahmsian ilk. The last hymn was a trip down memory lane too. I just loved it as a kid, mainly because of the uplifting harmony of the penultimate line, but partly also because of the confusion caused to the congregation (and occasionally me) at fitting the words in. Needless to say, Truro did it perfectly.

[gradus]

Bravo Truro, sorry that I missed the broadcast.

[Vox Humana]

Absolutely agree about the quality. Beautiful singing from beginning to end. Superb stuff. I particularly loved the atmospheric canticles, though I wasn't convinced that they really fitted in to an Anglican Evensong. Better suited to RC Vespers? Good to hear them nevertheless. Did the Nunc have an antiphon incorporated? I couldn't make out the words. I actually found myself thinking, rather irreverently, that, were it not for their dynamic range, these canticles would be ideal for that barely audible canned music you sometimes hear on entering a church that's open during the day to visitors. Enjoyable voluntary - meaty and well written. All well worth hearing.

[EdgeleyRob]

Having been prewarned by this thread,and listening on I player,I was able to savour the last note of the Ethel Smyth piece in my mind.

[Magnificat]

[QUOTE=mw963;610236]Fantastic singing, every word clear; sounded as though that Girls' Choir had been in place since Truro was built../QUOTE]

The Girl's Choir at Truro has been only recently formed but the 'girls' ( 14/18 years ) do have a very well established musical set up at Truro School which obviously helps the DoM.

I am surprised, however, that Truro, having been the pioneer in cathedral outreach programmes, seem to have missed a real opportunity to involve the whole community in their area when setting up their new girls' choir by insisting that the members all have to go to a senior independent school ( although according to the cathedral web-site girls can apply to join the choir from any school from age 13 ).

Obviously it would have been much more difficult and taken much longer to establish a choir of 8/14 year olds from a variety of local schools but it would have been a very satisfying challenge and in keeping with their pioneering spirit.

VCC.

[DracoM]

Gosh, Magnificat, bit of nit-picking, maybe?
The result on air was of a fine choir singing challenging / atmospheric stuff and doing it pretty damned well IMO.
Of course recruitment policies are crucial, I do get all that, but..............