Sunday 25th - a feast of choral music

[jonfan]

Stainer’s mini-masterpiece has survived all that’s been thrown at it over the years. It just taxes church choirs enough to persuade them up to their game. The organ part is a thrill to play, not too difficult. The hymns are all superb and ‘God so loved’ is still a popular stand alone anthem, and very moving in its simplicity.

[jean]

... ‘God so loved’ is still a popular stand alone anthem...

I sang it only last Sunday, from this collection.

I don't think I've ever heard any of the rest of the work - strangely perhaps, since I am old enough to remember the days of the big choral societies regularly doing all the big oratorios.

[jean]

I knew it wasn't Aled on the film.

I didn't mean to suggest you thought so - that was a general you for all the confused people (like me) who ever at any time entertained the idea that he might have!

[ardcarp]

Stainer’s mini-masterpiece has survived all that’s been thrown at it over the years.

Not sure about the 'masterpiece'. He wrote it for a parish church when a certain religiosity was the accepted style.

This from Wiki:

The Crucifixion: A Meditation on the Sacred Passion of the Holy Redeemer is an oratorio composed by John Stainer in 1887. It is scored for a SATB choir and organ, and features solos for bass and tenor.[1] Stainer intended that [the] piece would be within the scope of most parish church choirs; it includes five hymns for congregational participation.[2] The text was written by W J Sparrow Simpson, the librettist of Stainer's earlier cantata, Mary Magdalene.[3] The work is dedicated "to my pupil and friend W. Hodge and the choir of Marylebone Church", who first performed it on February 24, 1887, the day after Ash Wednesday.

Although the composer Ernest Walker dismissed the work, writing in 1924 that "Musicians today have no use for The Crucifixion", and even Stainer characterized his work as "rubbish,"[4] the work continues to be performed today.

One has to ask, which composer is remembered, Walker or Stainer?

[jonfan]

Not sure about the 'masterpiece'. He wrote it for a parish church when a certain religiosity was the accepted style.

This from Wiki:

The Crucifixion: A Meditation on the Sacred Passion of the Holy Redeemer is an oratorio composed by John Stainer in 1887. It is scored for a SATB choir and organ, and features solos for bass and tenor.[1] Stainer intended that [the] piece would be within the scope of most parish church choirs; it includes five hymns for congregational participation.[2] The text was written by W J Sparrow Simpson, the librettist of Stainer's earlier cantata, Mary Magdalene.[3] The work is dedicated "to my pupil and friend W. Hodge and the choir of Marylebone Church", who first performed it on February 24, 1887, the day after Ash Wednesday.

Although the composer Ernest Walker dismissed the work, writing in 1924 that "Musicians today have no use for The Crucifixion", and even Stainer characterized his work as "rubbish,"[4] the work continues to be performed today.

One has to ask, which composer is remembered, Walker or Stainer?

Perhaps ‘minor masterpiece’ would have been a better description because it’s still enjoyed by congregations and performers, around here at least. The tenor and baritone solos are relished by operatic singers. I’d read before that Stainer regretted writing the piece but history has proved otherwise. Our choir enjoys ‘God so loved’ especially if we hold the pitch throughout. It’s up there with Chilcott’s anthem on the same text with our choir.

[Nick Armstrong]

This is Radio Three at its best

[Nick Armstrong]

Apparently the guy singing the tenor solos tonight was the treble who sang 'Walking in the Air' on the film sound-track.

I saw/heard him live singing Gerontius a few years back - pretty good, I remember thinking.