St Thomas Fifth Avenue NYC

[chrisjstanley]

Wonderful evensong on 15th Feb. Sounds like they have been re-miked or re-engineered since I last heard them. I think this is the Daniel Purcell in E minor isn't it? Lovely chromatic dissonance in the Hear my prayer by HP. Shame they muck about with Psalm 78 but what there is we should be thankful for I guess.

http://www.saintthomaschurch.org/calendar/events/worship/21756/choral-evensong

bws
Chris S

[DracoM]

There most certainly has been a re-engineering at St T's.

For me - a very, very long time listener to St T's via webcast and live in the church - have to say I was not impressed by the engineering at all. Soft, distant, and utterly at variance with the majority of the late John Scott's webcasts - and I have saved a number of them so this is NOT age sweetening memory. The difference is marked, and IMO, unfortunate.

Daniel Hyde has done in some respects magnificently in that he now has a lot of psalms and even canticles without or with relatively discreet organ accompaniment - good. BUT as soon as the organ plays a significant part etc, then the sense of a choir being right here is sacrificed for a 'wash' of sound.

Given that the choir is what has made the church globally famous and enriched, it seems to me a strange decision to re-balance as they have.

That said, heard LIVE in the church is a totally different experience. It is a fine choir beginning to settle to its new DOM.

[Daniel Hyde]

In a rare appearance on this site.... It might be helpful for me to explain briefly about the reasons behind a perceived change in engineering at St T, and the current prevalence of unaccompanied music in comparison to previous years. The short answer is due to our current use of an electronic organ in the chancel. With two speakers either side of the altar, which have to be capable of filling the church in congregational hymns, the sound is too gruesome for extended use! Hence the unaccompanied psalms so far during my tenure, and the need to move the mics further away from the Choir in order to avoid an even more obtrusive sound from the organ. For what it's worth I prefer the miced choir sound we have now. It's not so immediately 'on top' of the choir, and captures much more of the experience heard in the building.
The new organ will be ready for use by the start of the new academic year, and I look forward to balancing things to that in future. The sense of air moving in the building (as opposed to computer generated sound) will be a new experience for me, and no doubt we shall have to play with mics and balances once again.
As ever, we are very grateful for our webcast audience and hope to continue providing this valuable service to many around the world.
All good wishes,
Daniel Hyde

[Alison]

Many thanks Daniel for a such a full and detailed response.

Exciting times ahead and so good that we can be part of them.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Many thanks Daniel for a such a full and detailed response.

[mopsus]

Here is the specification of the new instrument: http://www.dobsonorgan.com/html/inst...3_newyork.html
(I think they sang the Daniel Purcell canticles on the one occasion I've been to a service at St Thomas').

[DracoM]

Many thanks to Daniel Hyde for the transparent and honest explanation for what is / has happened to the St T 'sound' via webcast.

[DracoM]

http://www.saintthomaschurch.org/calendar/events/worship/21827/the-solemn-liturgy-of-maundy-thursday

http://www.saintthomaschurch.org/calendar/events/2018/03/30/tag/choral-services

http://www.saintthomaschurch.org/calendar/events/2018/03/30/tag/choral-services

Links to the Triduum at St T's.

Huge range of music being sung by a VG choir. Good Friday and Easter Vigil can be caught live, of course, YES, live!!

[Wolsey]

Dr Jeremy Filsell succeeds Daniel Hyde.

[DracoM]

Really? Bit of a surprise, isn't it?

[Caussade]

It’s announced on the St T website, so yes, really. Why a surprise?

[DracoM]

If you choose to pick for a church with a globally famous choir, maybe you go for a choir trainer rather than an organist?
Yes, I KNOW they've just got a spanking organ onstream, but.....but....is that what makes the church so finely respected?
John Scott was equally both trainer and organist and did miraculous things both at St P's and St T's, so maybe we await results.

[Vox Humana]

Pre-judging a bit, Draco? He is not inexperienced in this department. Let's wait and see, shall we?

[DracoM]

" so maybe we await results "

Erm...................?
I think that's what I just wrote?

[Vox Humana]

I know. I was agreeing with that bit of your post, but I appreciate that I didn't make that very clear. Apologies for that.