CE Magdalen College, Oxford Wed, 31st January 2018

[oddoneout]

I had the pleasure of witnessing this live... Mr Williams gets a fantastic sound out of the gents

I obviously wasn't concentrating when I first read this and misunderstood the second part of the sentence - tiles and porcelain sprang to mind I regret to say.....
Couldn't listen this afternoon, so will be looking forward to Sunday afternoon.

[DracoM]

Yes, the Sheppard is not an easy sing: requires stamina, utmost concentration to keep in pitch - imagine stressed-out trebles trapezing as the pitch gets sharper and sharper and with all those leaps and drops. So for any solo cantor - no pressure! Pretty good all round.

And loved the psalm chant and how it was theatrically managed.

So good to have a testing, LIVE, energetically and athletically well-projected service.

[jonfan]

A very moving service with fantastic, assured singing. A bit ironic after the recent discussion about accompanying psalms that MW dispensed with the organ altogether. Scary to change chants half way through and immaculately done. Unnoticed engineering so just right . (Last week almost forgotten.). The final hymn not cut and time to spare to programme a psalm from yesteryear. A classic CE offering these boards rejoice in.

[DracoM]

[Vox Humana]

I have to say that Purcell's name was variously spelt in the Old Cheque Book, including (if my memory serves) Mr Persill !

Well remembered - and not too far out! The is one entry where both Henry's and Thomas's surname is spelt "Purcill". Other entries are unanimous in spelling it in the familiar way. It's quite possible that manuscript copies of his music transmit other spellings; that's not my field. I am sure we have discussed the pronunciation here before, although I can't find the thread.

[Finzi4ever]

[QUOTE=Vox Humana;662577]He couldn't pronounce "Purcell" either.

...or 'choristArum', or 'Magdalen' (twice) though he managed right it right the first time: bizarre and excruciating. Who is he? You'd think if you're new, you'd be more anxious about get prep done in time.

[ardcarp]

I so much enjoyed Gaude, gaude, that I have listened to it several times more through headphones. In case anyone wants to do the same, here's the text:

Gaude, gaude, gaude Maria virgo,
cunctas haereses sola interemisti,
quae Gabrielis Archangeli dictis credidisti:
Dum virgo Deum et hominem genuisti
et post partum virgo inviolata permansisti.

Gabrielem Archangelum scimus divinitus te esse affatum:
uterum tuum de Spiritu Sancto credimus impregnatum:
erubescat Judaeus infelix, qui dicit Christum ex Joseph semine esse natum.

Dum virgo Deum et hominem genuisti
et post partum virgo inviolata intergra et casta es Maria

Quae es effecta fulgida coeli porta
O Mater alma Christi carissima
Suscipe laudum pia preconia
Nosta ut pura pectora sint et corpora
Quae nunc flagitant devota voxque et corda
Tu da per precata dulcissona
Nobis perpetua frui vita
O benigna quae sola inviolata permansisti

Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto.


During the bits I have highlighted, I think the top two parts are taken by trebles (by which I 'mean' front desks).

Enjoy!

[Vox Humana]

Ardcarp, you need also to embolden the verses O mater alma and Nobis perpetua. In all these the scoring is SSAAB, except for the verse Tu da per precata where the lowest part is T1 instead of B. Gaude, gaude is a unique setting of a respond-plus-prose. The prose is inserted between the final two words of the body of the respond, inviolata permansisti, when it is repeated after the verse Gabrielem - thus inviolata et integra... etc, etc, ending ...sola inviolata permansisti. CPDL has a score which I think may have been made from David Wulstan's edition, but transposing it back to the original pitch.

[Nick Armstrong]

He couldn't pronounce "Purcell" either.

...or 'choristArum', or 'Magdalen' (twice) though he managed right it right the first time: bizarre and excruciating. Who is he? You'd think if you're new, you'd be more anxious about get prep done in time.

I believe it to be one Tom Redmond. Then again it might as well have been the other Tom, McKinney, who rapidly turned into a bête noire in this house for his pronunciation of all sorts of things. Alas one or the other often seem to be on duty on Wednesday afternoons, and hence have form in relation to the CE repeat. A few weeks ago, one of the Toms' stab at telling unfortunate listeners about the French organ voluntary from "La nativité du Seigneur" was funny, a sort of camp, Carry On Froggie attempt to 'do' French. Definitely a graduate of the Katie Derham School of Languages (motto: if in doubt, pout and do an all-purpose 'forren' voice). Oddly, presenting the same service, he made no attempt at all to Germanify the title of the Bach introit, pronouncing it as if it were English.

I suppose you could say it's unfair, it's unreasonable to expect someone to pronounce all the languages called for on Radio 3. Then again, you could also say that given Radio 3's output, it's an intrinsic part of the job that a range of unfamiliar and foreign names and phrases will be encountered and that therefore it should be a requirement that presenters have some competence in that direction, and are prepared (and have access to some sort of coaching support) in order to deliver something half correct and not completely ludicrous...

On topic: this service downloaded and I'm looking forward greatly to listening (and avoiding the presentation before and after! )

[ardcarp]

Ardcarp, you need also to embolden the verses O mater alma and Nobis perpetua. In all these the scoring is SSAAB, except for the verse Tu da per precata where the lowest part is T1 instead of B. Gaude, gaude is a unique setting of a respond-plus-prose. The prose is inserted between the final two words of the body of the respond, inviolata permansisti, when it is repeated after the verse Gabrielem - thus inviolata et integra... etc, etc, ending ...sola inviolata permansisti. CPDL has a score which I think may have been made from David Wulstan's edition, but transposing it back to the original pitch.

I just wish I had the dots in front of me.....

[Vox Humana]

I just wish I had the dots in front of me.....

Apologies if I sounded critical, ardcarp. I didn't mean to.

[ardcarp]

Not at all! Pre Ref. English choral music really hits all the buttons for me. Love singing it too when I get the chance. It's rather sad that the area of my so-called scholarship is Post Restoration (esp Croft/Greene/Boyce) and that repertoire hardly figures in music lists these days.

[Vox Humana]

It's rather sad that the area of my so-called scholarship is Post Restoration (esp Croft/Greene/Boyce) and that repertoire hardly figures in music lists these days.

It's a pity this repertoire has fallen from grace somewhat since so much of it is rather good (although I used to find some of the services rather humdrum). I suppose there is a tendency for the verse anthems to involve plenty of showy stuff for the soloists, but little interest for the chorus - but maybe that's just the pieces I know. There was a time when hard-pressed O&Cs (as they were then) used to find this sort of piece very practical. Maybe the demise of Choral Matins has elbowed them out.

[DracoM]

Darlington /CCCOxf's series of recordings of similar [ i.e. Eton Choirbook] material are exquisite and worth pursuing.

[Miles Coverdale]

I'm slightly surprised that Westminster Cathedral's recent(ish) recording of Sheppard's Media vita doesn't seem to have registered here. In addition to that, it has Gaude, gaude, gaude Maria and the Mass Cantate, all beautifully sung.