To the producers of CE...

[ardcarp]

I have just fired off this email:

I wonder if you can let me know why live broadcasts of Choral Evensong appear to have declined?
Whilst the occasional recording might be justified, it seems the original idea of the Choral Evensong slot (i.e. broadcasting a service taking place live) is being lost.

There may be two possible reasons for this:

1. That less cathedrals/colleges are willing to commit to a live broadcast

or

2. Cuts in BBC funding.

I am one of the Hosts on the Radio 3 Forum, and I know that many of our memebrs would be interested to know the reasoning behind the changing profile of this long-standing and much admired BBC fixture.


If anyone else feels so moved, the address is; choral.evensong@bbc.co.uk

[mw963]

Good for you ardcarp. If it goes on much longer I think the idea - previously suggested - of contacting "Feedback" should also be put into motion.

[DracoM]

[subcontrabass]

Looking at the published schedule, from the beginning of April to the end of August there seem to be 14 live broadcasts, 6 specially recorded services, and 3 archive recordings.

[DracoM]

Which only intensifies the puzzle as to why there have been relatively many recorded / archived services over the winter?

[mopsus]

Even from April-August that is still about 2 in every 5 broadcasts that are not live.

[french frank]

Which only intensifies the puzzle as to why there have been relatively many recorded / archived services over the winter?

Well, I sent you a PM yesterday about my bringing this up with Radio 3 on Tuesday (as the first topic). I wasn't going to say anything here, but I can outline the reply. Yes, it's partly about costs - and this isn't the only issue on Radio 3 that reflects that. But, there was a tendency to downplay the actual number that had not been live and I didn't have precise numbers to hand, so I suggest you get the information together and submit the evidence. That won't give Radio 3 more money, but at least you can repeat my assurance that live does matter.

[Old Grumpy]

Could the number of repeats at the moment be related to the fact that it's almost the end of the financial year?

[DracoM]

Well, I sent you a PM yesterday about my bringing this up with Radio 3 on Tuesday (as the first topic). I wasn't going to say anything here, but I can outline the reply. Yes, it's partly about costs - and this isn't the only issue on Radio 3 that reflects that. But, there was a tendency to downplay the actual number that had not been live and I didn't have precise numbers to hand, so I suggest you get the information together and submit the evidence. That won't give Radio 3 more money, but at least you can repeat my assurance that live does matter.

Am checking.

[DracoM]

To further complicate, this is the copy of what is on the R3 website: in bold......???

Archive Service from Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral
Choral Evensong

From the Chapel of Keble College, Oxford.

Introit: Victimae paschali laudes (Plainsong, arr. Andrew Reid)
Responses: Radcliffe
Psalm 105 (Stanford, Martin, Atkins)
First Lesson: Isaiah 26 vv.1-19
Office hymn: Ad regias Agni dapes (Plainsong, mode viii)
Canticles: Jackson in G
Second Lesson: John 20 vv.1-10
Anthem: Ye choirs of new Jerusalem (Stanford)
Hymn: The strife is o'er (Victory)
Marian Antiphon: Regina coeli (Palestrina)
Voluntary: Organ Symphony No 6 in G minor, Op 42 No 2 (Finale: Vivace) (Widor)

Matthew Martin (Director of Music)
Robert Quinney (Organist)

[jean]

That seemed very odd, so I looked it up, but what I got was this, for 'next Wednesday':


Archive Service from Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral
Choral Evensong

An archive service from the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool (first broadcast 3 April 1974).

Introit: The Lamentation of a Sinner (Dowland)
Responses: Philip Duffy
Psalm 50 (Plainsong)
The Lamentation (Bairstow)
First Lesson: Isaiah 52 vv.13-53
Office hymn: The royal banners forward go (Angel's Song)
Canticles: Faux bourdon Service (Tallis)
Second Lesson: Mark 10 vv.32-45
Anthem: Cast me not away (Wesley)
Hymn: When I survey the wondrous Cross (Rockingham)

Philip Duffy (Master of the Music)
Terence Duffy (Organist)

Which makes better sense, especially as as the details you've got above are for Easter, and next week is still Lent.

.

[DracoM]

OK, so what IS happening 'next Wednesday'? And for R3, what is 'next Wednesday'? See below................**

This is what is apparently on the R3 Choral Evensong website for March 25th:

Archive Service from Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral
Choral Evensong

From the Chapel of Keble College, Oxford.

Introit: Victimae paschali laudes (Plainsong, arr. Andrew Reid)
Responses: Radcliffe
Psalm 105 (Stanford, Martin, Atkins)
First Lesson: Isaiah 26 vv.1-19
Office hymn: Ad regias Agni dapes (Plainsong, mode viii)
Canticles: Jackson in G
Second Lesson: John 20 vv.1-10
Anthem: Ye choirs of new Jerusalem (Stanford)
Hymn: The strife is o'er (Victory)
Marian Antiphon: Regina coeli (Palestrina)
Voluntary: Organ Symphony No 6 in G minor, Op 42 No 2 (Finale: Vivace) (Widor)

Matthew Martin (Director of Music)
Robert Quinney (Organist)
Aine Kennedy (Organ Scholar)


Once more, I put in bold how they have headed it for March 25th - which is Palm Sunday.

** What jean upthread has correctly indicated is what they have for March 21st.

They seem to have got their Wednesdays / Sunday repeats mixed up / mistaken.
e.g. Liverpool Met archive from Keble College? I don't think so.

[jean]

You don't give a link for that, DracoM.

However, it does look as though the version I've posted is the correct information for Wednesday 21st, but they're having a different service for Palm Sunday (though it would be jumping the gun a bit, as the Victimae paschali laudes is the sequence for Easter Day and the Strife isn't quite over yet) and they've just forgotten to change the heading - which they don't normally need to do as the Sunday is a repeat of the previous Wednesday.

The Wednesday information is as printed in Radio Times, but it does claim there that it's going to be 'repeated Sunday'. Clearly the idea of having two different services in the same week is too much for somebody. Or the details of that Easter service have crept in from who knows where?

.

[DracoM]

Precisely. Not given a link because at the mo, the links would be incorrect for at least one of the services.

[jean]

A mistake in a headiing...not the sort of thing we're going to write to the producers about, surely?