CE Winchester 2017 Southern Cathedrals Fest Wed, 30th Aug

[DracoM]

CE Winchester Cathedral
The 2017 Southern Cathedrals Festival

Cathedral Choirs of Chichester, Salisbury and Winchester


Order of Service:


Introit: Majora Canamus (Oliver Tarney - first performance)
Responses: Clucas
Psalms 147, 148, 149, 150 (Stanford, McWilliam)
First Lesson: Deuteronomy 11: 1-21
Canticles: St Paul's Service (Howells)
Second Lesson: 2 Corinthians 9: 6-15
Anthem: Like as the hart (Howells)
Hymn: Praise, my soul, the King of heaven


Organ Voluntary: Postlude in D minor (Stanford)

Organist: George Castle
Director of Music: Andrew Lumsden


NB: this is a recording

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b092k8kb

[DracoM]

I just wish I could stop using the diary of last year or next year or something.....
Today's CE is on the THIRTIETH of August, and not as in the banner at the top.
Ahem.

[Finzi4ever]

Well done BBC website, putting up a picture of Winchester College Chapel instead of the cathedral. It's probably 'above their pay grade' to check more than the first word in their pic hunt. More likely they just used the last 'Winchester' broadcast image which was indeed from Win Coll.

[mw963]

Enjoyed it.

And the criticism I levelled at the technical balance on the organ for the last Winchester Cathedral broadcast last spring does not apply today. Clearly someone who understands balancing organs was in charge this time.

[DracoM]

A note I have from a reputable source concerning the Tarney piece:

MAJORA CANAMUS
God has been made manifest
[And without doubt], great is the mystery of Godliness.
God has been made manifest in flesh,
And been justified in the Spirit,
seen by angels,
preached unto the Gentiles,
believed in all the world,
and was received up in glory.
(I Timothy 3: 16)
In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
(Colossians 2: 3)

Writing a choral piece with a Jane Austen connection is a tall order. Not much of what she wrote (her prayers included) can be easily set to music, especially to perform a liturgical function.
Reflecting on the musical world (and sound-world) that Jane Austen inhabited, I decided to choose what is, arguably, the most well-known part of Handel’s Messiah as my starting point: the opening. Messiah was a piece she will have known well, and heard a number of times. She would also have been well-acquainted with Handel’s music in general: her great grandfather, James Brydges, was the first Duke of Chandos, and was a great patron of Handel’s.
The text used is a modern translation of the frontispiece, which Charles Jennens sets at the head of his libretto for Messiah. The words come from scripture, though the title, Majora Canamus (‘let us sing of greater things’ to paraphrase) comes from Virgil. The text speaks about the great mystery of the incarnation.
The idea that these words are connected with, but fall outside of, Handel’s great work was very attractive as I set out to write a piece that contained shadows of it.
I have used the opening Sinfonia as the thematic basis for the work, though the impression is intended not to be of hearing the Sinfonia live, but rather, hearing echoes of it, still ringing around the cathedral (albeit slightly jumbled) after hundreds-of-years’-worth of performances: in a way, this is perhaps the building’s memory of this iconic overture.
It is particularly apt as the Southern Cathedrals Festival has chosen the year 1800 as the focal year for its ‘Jane Austen’ concert. Ironically, it’s about the only year during the period when the old favourite, Handel’s Messiah, was not performed, plumping, as they did, for Haydn’s Creation in its stead. However, in light of this, I find the idea of hearing the half-remembered echoes of a ‘phantom Messiah’ all the more fascinating.
from Oliver Tarney.

[DracoM]

Fine service: Howells St Paul's is so much the right ennobling set of canticles for such a service in that acoustic and for that occasion.
Pity Jane Austen never lived to hear canticles and anthem like that! Or maybe even as well sung as that?

[DracoM]

Sorry, should have added LOVED the Tarney introit.
I do hope more ensembles take this piece up esp in big acoustics and sing it with the commitment and balance of forces as here.

[Lizzie]

It sounded rather good I thought! SCF was remarkable all round this year, and I was privileged to have been there. The Tarney piece was wonderful and I'd love to hear it again. My one degree of disappointment, was that I couldn't get a decent volume of sound on the iPad, or via my smartphone, and as I was there and know what a massive sound it actually was. Probably my headphones etc. Still, I know it was truly monumental so, that's alright! I wish you could all have been there to hear the Monteverdi Vespers on the Saturday evening. Period instruments, Choirs and soloists placed all round the cathedral's spaces, so that the sounds varied, the attention was held and everyone in the building had a unique experience of their own to treasure, even those sitting in some of the cathedral's notorious dead spots.

[DracoM]

Great to have your on-site news, Lizzie!! How's things?

[Lizzie]

Great to have your on-site news, Lizzie!! How's things?

Thank you! We've been missing our own Choirs since July, although our visiting ones have done Stirling work. Our own troops will be back on Sunday week, although I shall be away, trying to find any sort of decent musical liturgy in France! I think this year's SCF was the best I've ever heard since I started going to the cathedral. All the choirs and musicians were on top form and I heard some remarkable music. Everyone involved deserves unreserved congratulations. That Monteverdi was the absolute crowning glory though. I was utterly rapt throughout, and I gather that even the band said it had opened up a whole new view and appreciation, as some of them moved around the cathedral with their instruments.

[AuntyKezia]

I managed one day of the SCF this year, Lizzie, and wondered if you were there. This was the Thursday afternoon, which had a great choral programme. For me the outstanding piece was the Naylor Vox Dicentis - in that space, and with those voices, it was simply stunning. Today's CE, which I hadn't heard live, came across brilliantly on my trusty Skylark, so I felt as if I was back in the Cathedral again!

[chitreb]

Thoroughly enjoyable, great sound and well blended between the choirs to my ear.

[Lizzie]

I managed one day of the SCF this year, Lizzie, and wondered if you were there. This was the Thursday afternoon, which had a great choral programme. For me the outstanding piece was the Naylor Vox Dicentis - in that space, and with those voices, it was simply stunning. Today's CE, which I hadn't heard live, came across brilliantly on my trusty Skylark, so I felt as if I was back in the Cathedral again!

Yes, I was there for everything except the Friday evening concert. I agree with everything you've said. It was a truly exceptional SCF. I wish I'd known you were ther and we could've had a cup of tea!

[Lizzie]

Thoroughly enjoyable, great sound and well blended between the choirs to my ear.

I agree, the blend and overall ensemble was excellent and it would be all but impossible to better I think.

[jonfan]

A totally thrilling and uplifting service. A big sound in a big acoustic superbly sung. Very well engineered as well. Beautiful calm introit with an inspired choice of text from 'Messiah' preface. Thank you. Shamefully I've never visited Winchester, something I will rectify asap, only having heard the choir and organ on disc.