CE St Alban's Church, Holborn, London Wed, 13th Sept 2017

[DracoM]

CE St Alban's Church, Holborn, London
Recorded by Genesis Sixteen


Order of Service:


Introit: Vere languores (Victoria)
Responses: Bernard Rose
Office Hymn: When I survey the wondrous Cross (Rockingham)
Psalm 66 (Atkins)
First Lesson: Isaiah 53: 1-12
Magnificat sexti toni (Victoria)
Second Lesson: Ephesians 2: 11-22
Nunc Dimittis (Plainsong)
Anthem: Vexilla Regis (Guerrero)
Final Hymn: My song is love unknown (Love Unknown)

Organ Voluntary: Prelude on 'Vexilla Regis' (Bairstow)

Organist: Matthew Martin
DoMs: Harry Christophers, Eamonn Dougan, Benjamin Cox

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0949f2h

[ardcarp]

I was looking forward to this, and indeed enjoyed the repertoire very much. I know I am probably going to get my fingers rapped for what I'm about to say, but I
I was troubled by pitch stability. At times it went down before our very ears. The second set of responses and collects ended up in A flat. And the Guerrero sagged quite soon too.

I salute Harry C and the Sixteen for starting the Genesis choir and for his encouragement of young singers and directors.

Great Bairstow voluntary!

[DracoM]

Beat me to it.

[BasilHarwood]

Meh, it happens... We do seem to get our bits and bobs in a twist sometimes about this issue.

Granted, if it's a sequence of music that relies on things finihing totally in tune, then worth getting annoyed about. In this instance I dare say it's just lack of breathing, which seems to be a running theme with the young singers I often work with...........!

I've sung for very well-known pro groups were this has happened for no apparent reason, and it's usually shrugged off. Sometimes a piece will consistently sit low, so we'd just go with it and start it a semi down - surprise, surprise it then stays in that 'new' key.

[ardcarp]

so we'd just go with it and start it a semi down - surprise, surprise it then stays in that 'new' key.

Yes that often works. I hesitated about mentioning the pitch drop because I know it sounds picky. Small pitch changes are hardly noticeable over a long-ish span of a cappella singing, but in this case it all happened rather quickly, giving me that sinking feeling!