CE Choir of Merton College, Oxford Wed, 28th June 2017

[DracoM]

CE Choir of Merton College, Oxford
St Peter's Basilica, Vatican City
The Feast of St Gregory


Order of Service:


Introit: Prevent us O Lord (Byrd)
Hymn: O praise ye the Lord (Laudate Dominum)
Responses (Matthew Martin)
Psalms 100, 127, 128 (Attwood, Goss, Parry)
First Lesson: Ecclesiastes 4: 1-10
Canticles: Charles Wood in F 'Collegium Regale'
Second Lesson: 1 Thessalonians 2: 3-8
Anthem: Blessed city, heavenly Salem (Bairstow)
Hymn: Dear Lord and Father of mankind (Repton)
Motet: Justorum animae (Byrd)

Organ Voluntary: Prelude in B minor, BWV 544 (Bach)


Alexander Little, Thomas Fetherstonhaugh: Organ Scholars.
Benjamin Nicholas: Organist and Director of Music

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08vypy7

[NB: this is a recording from March 2017]

[DracoM]

Honestly do not know what to make of that service this p.m. From repertoire to execution. Repertoire perfectly OK for a Brit cathedral, but the Vatican....?? And sound balance odd as well. Hmm.
Did anyone listen?

[mopsus]

Honestly do not know what to make of that service this p.m. From repertoire to execution. Repertoire perfectly OK for a Brit cathedral, but the Vatican....?? And sound balance odd as well. Hmm.
Did anyone listen?

The choice of Byrd was clearly an acknowledgement of the location. As for the balance, I suppose this is not a building the usual engineers (if indeed they were used) are used to working in. The final motet was sung in a different place which posed a further problem. I was amused by the sound of the organ which wasn't really able to illustrate the words 'his glory forth tell in deep tone'.

[ardcarp]

I was amused by the sound of the organ which wasn't really able to illustrate the words 'his glory forth tell in deep tone'.

All in all, I thought the organ (in the hands of the capable organ scholars) did rather well at accompanying Anglican stuff. Blessed City was an excellent choice (appropriate to Peter building the Church of Rome, etc) likewise the Byrd. I think I might have chosen canticles from a different era...perhaps from the later 20th cent ?
But this was a quite historic occasion, so well done Merton for fixing it. I am quite intrigued as to how the 'politics' of the venture was sorted out!

Edit: I've put a comment or two on The Organ sub-forum.

[oddoneout]

This perhaps doesn't lend itself to comparison as one might other CEs? As ardcarp says it was an historic occasion. One thing that did make me wince somewhat was the second reading. 'Starting at the third verse', when the 'th' comes out as 't' is unfortunate, and I found some of the rest of the reading quite difficult to decipher.
I am not knowledgeable about such things but didn't find the sound balance particularly odd, and certainly no more so than sometimes happens on 'home ground'. I had to reach for the volume knob for the motet but that happens on occasion anyway, especially when the vocal forces relocate.

[DracoM]

Yes, I do get that. Maybe my prob was imaging the location and then matching what we heard to it.
Agree about [a] organ, and [b] particularly about the motet which was what nudged my 'odd balance' comment [c] 'politics'.

[pomaint]

I really enjoyed this - hello everyone! The organ doesn't come through very well, but then it is a total barn of a building and, like St Paul's Cathedral must be a complete nightmare to capture the sound. The choir is good - not sure about the wobbly females, but hey ho.

[DracoM]

pomaint

If you are new to this Forum, can we bid you welcome!

[mw963]

Honestly do not know what to make of that service this p.m. From repertoire to execution. Repertoire perfectly OK for a Brit cathedral, but the Vatican....?? And sound balance odd as well. Hmm.
Did anyone listen?

Honestly, this is a fascinating forum at times. I've only dipped into my recording (digital direct off DSat Radio 3) but I can hear nothing wrong with the execution, nothing wrong with the repertoire, and nothing wrong with the balance - on the last point I guess they had to move in pretty close to the choir to overcome the wild acoustic of the place, and it sounds as though they did the same for the organ (I can hear the action clicking), but actually I often think the balancers don't do that good a job at the normal British venues, and this made for an immediate but not overpowering sound.

I grant you they went in even closer in that final motet, and I see that it was this that prompted your remark, and yes maybe that was a little too close for comfort, or at least what we're used to....

Loved the repertoire - I have a feeling DracoM that you do find good Victorian/Edwardian red-meat a little indigestible, in much the same way that Leighton wrecks an Evensong for me. But I thought it was great that Merton socked this material right into the Vatican!

I reserve the right to entirely change my mind when I listen properly!!

[DracoM]

I think my main fog of doubt was over why mount such a CE broadcast at all! Value?

Don't mind singing the Victorian repertoire - good lusty exercise - but listening to it?....well, OK, I'm not a great fan.
BUT I do appreciate the immense skills required of any team who learn it, master it, and include it regularly as part of the developmental process in any choir's identity.

[mw963]

Fantasy CE planning time - what would you have chosen for this service DracoM? You can choose anything you like.....

[Nevilevelis]

Loved the repertoire - I have a feeling DracoM that you do find good Victorian/Edwardian red-meat a little indigestible, in much the same way that Leighton wrecks an Evensong for me. But I thought it was great that Merton socked this material right into the Vatican!

Just in case we didn't know that already...

[Nevilevelis]

I think my main fog of doubt was over why mount such a CE broadcast at all! Value?

Because it happened, and was, significantly, the first time Choral Evensong was heard in St. Peter's. Is that not worthy of a broadcast, in the spirit of ecumemism? Not in your opinion. The Drome, W'abbey and St. Paul's regularly do this (I often join them if ROH Stage Door doesn't beckon), and it's always warmly welcomed and apreciated. A very good thing AFAIAC.

[DracoM]

Thx.......erm......
<< Because it happened, and was, significantly, the first time Choral Evensong was heard in St. Peter' >>

Yes, I did actually realise that.
BUT why an Oxford college? Why not a cathedral from UK? Aha! Of course, silly me.............who has the money for this kind of gesture!

[Nevilevelis]

Thx.......erm......
<< Because it happened, and was, significantly, the first time Choral Evensong was heard in St. Peter' >>

Yes, I did actually realise that.
BUT why an Oxford college? Why not a cathedral from UK? Aha! Of course, silly me.............who has the money for this kind of gesture!

Oh, well done, dear! Just checking. Worth repeating.