SoP snubs Bangor Cathedral Choir.

[jean]

But it was only I who used the word 'community' - in a way that was open to misinterpretation, I agree.

My point is just that when they do SoP from a cathedral, they never feature the cathedral choir (as far as I can remember anyway, and as confirmed by the recent broadcast from Liverpool.)

[Y Mab Afradlon]

[QUOTE][You know what I mean! What the BBC are after for this slot is the sort of 'community' choir that doesn't do sight-reading or auditions.QUOTE]

This from the school's website
Opened in 1990, Ysgol Glanaethwy is a performing arts school that operates outside of normal school hours. Younger children take acting lessons and choir practice and the older pupils have choir practice only.

They are far from a choir that doesn't do sight reading. But you are correct Jean that Cathedral Choirs seldom feature with the exception of St Paul's London and a few others.

May I remind everyone that it was a row over fees payed to the Choir during preparations for the same programme that launched the demise of not only the Dean at Llandaff but also the Choir. Thankfully both the Dean and Choir have been re-established but there was a lot of ill feeling in between.

In my opinion the Cathedral Choir have been invited to participate along with other local choirs but the producers have chosen to showcase the work of Ysgol Gerdd. Let's see what the programme gives us and then we can comment, either positively or critically when it has been broadcast

[Oldcrofter]

" ... the sort of 'community' choir that doesn't do sight-reading or auditions." The all too frequent derogatory attitude to youth choirs which are not cathedral choirs on this board is dispiriting - and wrong. There are youth choirs setting high standards throughout the country, with auditions and excellent tuition in sight reading, voice production etc. It is true that their musical directors are sometimes amateurs, sometimes professionals - but in a broad sense, they are indeed community choirs, or district or county youth choirs.

True, their repertoire will be different from that of cathedral choirs - and many will enter local competitive festivals and some enter international competitions and tour abroad. Community choirs - whether children, youth or adult - and for that matter community symphony orchestras, silver bands etc. are a vital part of musical life in this country - please don't denigrate them.

[Miles Coverdale]

My point is just that when they do SoP from a cathedral, they never feature the cathedral choir (as far as I can remember anyway, and as confirmed by the recent broadcast from Liverpool.)

That's not been true historically. When I was a cathedral lay clerk I took part in more than one SoP recording which had 'choir-only' slots.

I think the title of this thread is possibly a bit misleading. I don't think the producers (I don't remeber, is SoP still an in-house BBC production, or has it been farmed out?) will have made a concious decision to snub anybody, it's just that, budgets being what they are, they'll choose a choir they don't have to pay over one they do.

[Wolsey]

My point is just that when they do SoP from a cathedral, they never feature the cathedral choir (as far as I can remember anyway, and as confirmed by the recent broadcast from Liverpool.)

I stand to be corrected, but I'm sure the Hereford Cathedral choir (under Roy Massey) featured in a Songs of Praise broadcast in about 1999/2000.

[jean]

Twenty years is a long time in broadcasting.

...From November 2014 the programme format changed, adopting more of a magazine format. The stated intention was to evolve the series to reflect the wider Christian audience across the country. Music remains at the heart of the series but is more varied in style, reflecting the broad range of Christian genres in each programme and across the series; there is no longer a single location where the music and stories come from each week....

We can judge for ourselves on Easter Day (I think).

[Vox Humana]

Community choirs - whether children, youth or adult - and for that matter community symphony orchestras, silver bgands etc. are a vital part of musical life in this country - please don't denigrate them.

I agree, but I don't think anyone has been denigrating such choirs (in this thread at least). I was just saddened that the cathedral choir has been relegated, but Master Coverdale has given a plausible reason why that may be.

[Nazard]

As any regular reader of Private Eye would know, Songs of Praise was controversially outsourced to two production companies, Nine Lives Media and Avanti Media, in 2017. The Eye has reported recently that the production have made embarrassing liturgical errors (failing to recognise Advent Sunday was quite a big one!!) and also experienced budgetary problems.

The 2014 change to format, which you mention above, jean, meant that a each episode no longer came from a single location. Instead, a number of hymns for throughout the year would be filmed in single recording sessions at various locations, with hymns taken from this 'bank' and used throughout the year.

I haven't seen an episode in years, so I don't know if the change to production company last year has led to a reversion back to the 'single location' idiom that we all knew and loved.

[jonfan]

As any regular reader of Private Eye would know, Songs of Praise was controversially outsourced to two production companies, Nine Lives Media and Avanti Media, in 2017. The Eye has reported recently that the production have made embarrassing liturgical errors (failing to recognise Advent Sunday was quite a big one!!) and also experienced budgetary problems.

The 2014 change to format, which you mention above, jean, meant that a each episode no longer came from a single location. Instead, a number of hymns for throughout the year would be filmed in single recording sessions at various locations, with hymns taken from this 'bank' and used throughout the year.

I haven't seen an episode in years, so I don't know if the change to production company last year has led to a reversion back to the 'single location' idiom that we all knew and loved.

Last Sunday’s SoP proves Private Eye’s point. St David’s Day was celebrated with mainly using a ‘single location’ broadcast from St Davids Cathedral which was at least five years old. Money is certainly tight.

[jean]

Tomorrow at 5. Multiple locations. Hardly any time for Bangor at all!

For Easter Sunday, Aled Jones is in his hometown of Bangor in north Wales to hear the Easter story. Claire McCollum is in her hometown of Belfast in Northern Ireland to see the impact the Good Friday agreement has had 20 years on. Aled also celebrates the hundredth anniversary of the Royal Air Force with a visit to RAF Valley. With Easter hymns from Bangor Cathedral and a special performance from Cor Glanaethwy.

[jean]

It was strange to hear Aled Jones on how it all started for him as a chorister in Bangor Cathedral...and to see footage of the choir robed and in situ in those days...and then to see the choir stalls for the broadcast all full of congregation.

Even worse, when the Dean was telling us how important the season was for Christians in general and the Cathedral in particular, we saw footage of a passion play outside the Cathedral, with 'Christ crucified outside Debenham's' but nothing at all about what might happen inside.

Maybe it'll get better.

[Alison]

The Easter hymns were very drearily rendered I thought.

[jean]

The real cathedral choir got their chance this morning:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bbnlyv

[Keraulophone]

The real cathedral choir got their chance this morning

This live broadcast captured well the satisfyingly intimate, prayerful atmosphere engendered by the choir’s beautiful, well-prepared and unfussy singing. A start to the day that made me feel truly thankful for BBC Radio, having returned yesterday from Andalusia.

[jonfan]

Good to hear them; beautiful singing and a worthy celebration of St. Mary Magdalene. Now for a CE.