CE Durham Cathedral Wed, July 5th 2017

[DracoM]

CE Durham Cathedral


Order of Service:


Introit: The God of love my shepherd is (Richard Lloyd)
Responses: Smith
Office Hymn: Ye that know the Lord is gracious (Hyfrydol)
Psalms 27, 28, 29 (Nares, Goss, Bairstow, Randall)
First Lesson: Isaiah 5: 8-24
Canticles: Howells in B minor
Second Lesson: James 1:17-25
Anthem: Faire is the heaven (Harris)
Final Hymn: The King of love my shepherd is (Dominus regit me)


Organ Voluntary: Rhapsody in C sharp minor, Op 17 No 3 (Howells)


Francesca Massey – organist
James Lancelot - conductor

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08wn5js

[gurnemanz]

Thanks for the reminder. I will make an effort with this one. I have fond memories of a being a student up there in the 60s and sometimes catching Evensong while taking a short cut via the Cathedral and Cloisters between the university library and my college. I enjoy the music but tend to get put off by the liturgical bits.

[vinteuil]

... I have fond memories of a being a student up there in the 60s and sometimes catching Evensong while taking a short cut via the Cathedral and Cloisters between the university library and my college. I enjoy the music but tend to get put off by the liturgical bits.

.

...

I so agree.

I grew up near Edington, and we used to go to the music festival there. My father always muttered that there was such magnificent music, but why did we have to put up with all the churchy stuff...

https://www.edingtonfestival.org/

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[Roger Judd]

Readers of this forum will know, I'm sure, that this broadcast marks the end of James Lancelot's distinguished time as Durham Cathedral's Director of Music.
RJ

[DracoM]

Indeed. Thx for reminding us.

[EdgeleyRob]

Same here,the music is everything,but any amount of churchy stuff is worth putting up with to hear a Howells Organ Rhapsody

[jonfan]

Same here,the music is everything,but any amount of churchy stuff is worth putting up with to hear a Howells Organ Rhapsody

If it wasn't for the churchy stuff it would be just a concert of disconnected items.

[mw963]

That's the great thing about Evensong - I agree jonfan. No "church bits" at all and we'd slightly wonder why we were there, but there is honestly so little (normally) from the priests during an Evensong that what they do say simply makes (if one is a non-believer) useful staging posts through the music.

But I continue to complain - and will do so for as long as I have breath - at priests who believe that their own contribution in the form a sermon or homily is indispensable. And I tell 'em direct too if they transgress.....

As to what Roger Judd says, it seems like only yesterday that James Lancelot was appointed....

[DracoM]

Isn't the very structuring of the Evensong liturgy what gives the music the stage upon which to play out 'the messages'?

[jonfan]

Isn't the very structuring of the Evensong liturgy what gives the music the stage upon which to play out 'the messages'?

[vinteuil]

Isn't the very structuring of the Evensong liturgy what gives the music the stage upon which to play out 'the messages'?

... of course. But not all of us are up for 'the messages' - but we still like the music...


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[EdgeleyRob]

... of course. But not all of us are up for 'the messages' - but we still like the music...


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[jean]

If it wasn't for the 'churchy stuff' you'd get applause after each item...and who wants that?

[teamsaint]

there's usually message, context, sub text, in cultural experience. More often than not we just have to accept the " message" even if we don't necessarily buy into it.

Don't we all listen to Mass settings with the tacit assumption that the message is a positive, strongly held belief, which informed the composer, and which helps generate the creative power and effect?

Unless the music is no good of course.....

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

there's usually message, context, sub text, in cultural experience. More often than not we just have to accept the " message" even if we don't necessarily buy into it.

Don't we all listen to Mass settings with the tacit assumption that the message is a positive, strongly held belief, which informed the composer, and which helps generate the creative power and effect?

Unless the music is no good of course.....

Hmmmm ... depends on how you define "strongly held belief": there are (at least) two very fine examples form English composers who did not have strong beliefs in the sentiments of the Mass, but believed very strongly in the Musical Traditions which had emerged from the religious beliefs behind the verbal texts.


But I can listen to Musical settings of the Mass texts outside a liturgical setting any time I like. I do not wish to listen to the non-Musical parts of the liturgy (which, for many, is the more important part) so I do not listen to CE. It seems to me to miss the point of the programme to wish that the "churchy" bits could be left out of a broadcast Church Service - although I realize that all such posts are not entirely "serious".