CE Southwark Cathedral Wed, Oct 11th 2017

[DracoM]

CE Southwark Cathedral



Order of Service:


Introit: Like as the hart (Noel Rawsthorne)
Responses: Noel Rawsthorne
Psalms 59, 60, 61 (Barnby, Stainer, Lloyd)
First Lesson: 1 Chronicles 29: 10-19
Canticles: Noel Rawsthorne in D
Second Lesson: Colossians 3: 2-17
Anthem: Blest Pair of Sirens (Parry)
Hymn: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation (Lobe den Herren)

Organ Voluntary: Dankpsalm Op.145 no.2 (Reger)


Edward Hewes and Peter Wright (Organists)
Stephen Disley (Director of the Girls' Choir)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b097882h

[underthecountertenor]

CE Southwark Cathedral



Order of Service:


Introit: Like as the hart (Noel Rawsthorne)
Responses: Noel Rawsthorne
Psalms 59, 60, 61 (Barnby, Stainer, Lloyd)
First Lesson: 1 Chronicles 29: 10-19
Canticles: Noel Rawsthorne in D
Second Lesson: Colossians 3: 2-17
Anthem: Blest Pair of Sirens (Parry)
Hymn: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation (Lobe den Herren)

Organ Voluntary: Dankpsalm Op.145 no.2 (Reger)


Edward Hewes and Peter Wright (Organists)
Stephen Disley (Director of the Girls' Choir)




http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b097882h

Googling to see if there was any particular reason for a Rawsthorne-fest right now (none that I can see), I was intrigued to note that he appeared as a guest on Desert Island Discs in 1972. Was he really that mainstream back then? Interesting choice of records. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009n9xh

[ardcarp]

I think he was organist at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral and I think (but am not 100% sure) he was related to Alan Rawsthorne the better-known composer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Rawsthorne

I took part in a recording of some of the latter's choral music about 35 years ago...I can't remember what and where without looking it up and/or finding the CD.

[underthecountertenor]

I think he was organist at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral

...hence his last choice on Desert Island Discs, I imagine.

I still can't quite work out why he got the DID call. As you say, Alan is better-known, and he didn't. Nor for that matter did Sir David Willcocks, or even (so far at least) Saint Barry Rose. John Rutter has been up once.

CORRECTION: Sir David Willcocks did get the call (as I was sure he did). The terrible DID website lists him under S for Sir.

[Alison]

In an ever changing world it's reassuring to note Peter Wright is still at Southwark.

[Vox Humana]

I was intrigued to note that he appeared as a guest on Desert Island Discs in 1972. Was he really that mainstream back then?

Most certainly!

He is still, for me, the only person to have managed to make K608 sound like Mozart. Most players make it sound like Wagner. (I gave up playing it for much the same failure.)

(On the other hand, I can't condone his wilful bowdlerising of Georgi Mushel's Toccata as published by OUP. The version published by Peters is much more reliable.)

[Finzi4ever]

Most certainly!

He is still, for me, the only person to have managed to make K608 sound like Mozart. Most players make it sound like Wagner. (I gave up playing it for much the same failure.)

(On the other hand, I can't condone his wilful bowdlerising of Georgi Mushel's Toccata as published by OUP. The version published by Peters is much more reliable.)

There was once a rumour that Noel actually wrote it, or was that another light-hearted Toccata? He certainly composed the demanding Hornpipe Humoresque, with less than subtle allusions to Brandenburg 3, Vivaldi Spring, Widor 5 and Rule Britannia, which I last heard played amazingly joyously by John Scott in his final recital at the 3 Choirs in Hereford.

[Vox Humana]

There was once a rumour that Noel actually wrote it, or was that another light-hearted Toccata?

It's definitely by Mushel and is the middle movement of his Uzbekistan Suite, which can be bought here. (This seems to be an A4 reprint of the original; my eyes find the notation too small for comfort.) Rawsthorne transposed the first part of it down an octave and altered the penultimate chord.

If this story, which I lifted from elsewhere on the net, is true then Rawsthorne may have had occasion to pass the piece off as his own in Russia.

"Noel Rawsthorne was dismayed to find a young Russian composer prohibited by his government to perform his own compositions. In a kind of bustle after a Rawsthorne recital a young man thrust a copy of his music into Rawsthorne's hands. Noel Rawsthorne took it away, looked at it and liked it. He transcribed it and published it and then presented the young man with a copy of his composition on the next tour. The irony was that all of the Russian audience unbeknowingly applauded their fellow countryman (forbidden at that time to compose or even perform) for his composition in the guise of Rawsthorne."

I wonder why Mushel was banned from performing? There's very little biographical information about him on the web.

[Finzi4ever]

It's definitely by Mushel and is the middle movement of his Uzbekistan Suite, which can be bought here. (This seems to be an A4 reprint of the original; my eyes find the notation too small for comfort.) Rawsthorne transposed the first part of it down an octave and altered the penultimate chord.

If this story, which I lifted from elsewhere on the net, is true then Rawsthorne may have had occasion to pass the piece off as his own in Russia.

"Noel Rawsthorne was dismayed to find a young Russian composer prohibited by his government to perform his own compositions. In a kind of bustle after a Rawsthorne recital a young man thrust a copy of his music into Rawsthorne's hands. Noel Rawsthorne took it away, looked at it and liked it. He transcribed it and published it and then presented the young man with a copy of his composition on the next tour. The irony was that all of the Russian audience unbeknowingly applauded their fellow countryman (forbidden at that time to compose or even perform) for his composition in the guise of Rawsthorne."

I wonder why Mushel was banned from performing? There's very little biographical information about him on the web.

Many thanks for this explanation: it's definitely the source of my misinfo.

[DracoM]

Reminder - today @ 3.30p.m

[omega consort]

I enjoyed this service - hearty and passionate singing with a fair bit of repertoire unknown to me - particularly liked the introit. What I didn't like was the organ - through a facebook post, I have discovered it is a temporary digital organ - it was ok in the softer stuff but the voluntary was, in my opinion, awful (not the playing I hasten to add!).

[ardcarp]

I have discovered it is a temporary digital organ

I suspected as much So unlike the noble T.C. Lewis, especially in the accomp of Blest Pair. Opening positively bizarre....also as as mentioned, the voluntary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeuKFTqVtpc

[Op. XXXIX]

I have discovered it is a temporary digital organ - it was ok in the softer stuff but the voluntary was, in my opinion, awful (not the playing I hasten to add!).

Agreed about the organ. Worked decently in the psalms, but that was about all. I attended an afternoon organ recital at Southwark back in May of 2016, so I immediately knew something was amiss!

Otherwise, wonderful service. Good to hear the Rawsthorne canticles.

[bach736]

I think he was organist at Liverpool Anglican Cathedral and I think (but am not 100% sure) he was related to Alan Rawsthorne the better-known composer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Rawsthorne

I took part in a recording of some of the latter's choral music about 35 years ago...I can't remember what and where without looking it up and/or finding the CD.

Stephen Disley studied organ with Ian Tracey and is thus part of the Liverpool Anglican lineage of which Noel Rawsthorne's 25 years are legendary.

[Vox Humana]

Stephen Disley studied organ with Ian Tracey and is thus part of the Liverpool Anglican lineage of which Noel Rawsthorne's 25 years are legendary.

I once managed to trace my organ tutoring lineage back to J. S. Bach. Naturally my understanding of Bach is flawless!