CE York Minster 29th June 2011

[Magnificat]

The York Minster choir is now better than it has been for very many years.

I like a big, full sound and The Minster is a huge space to fill; but the danger for Robert Sharpe is that in producing an appropriate sound for the building it doesn't get raucous and I felt that it was, slightly, this afternoon. If the service was broadcast from the Quire the singing must have seemed very loud indeed for the congregation there.

Enjoyed the Moore particularly.

VCC

[DracoM]

'Raucous'?? Absolute nonsense!!

VCC, there really are times, when..............

[MrGongGong]

"raucous" and CE ?????
where on earth have some people been ? (or what have they not heard in the last 50 years ????)

[ardcarp]

There is a changing fashion in the voice-production of boy trebles which goes along with men being allowed to sing with more full voice. Personally I welcome this, though I still respect the pure head-voice tradition still espoused by some. I certainly wouldn't use the word 'raucous'. I have noticed though that choristers nowadays sometimes struggle over high notes whereas in days of yore we all soared up to high Cs without too much trouble. Is this voice-production...or biology?

[decantor]

There is a changing fashion in the voice-production of boy trebles which goes along with men being allowed to sing with more full voice. Personally I welcome this, though I still respect the pure head-voice tradition still espoused by some. I certainly wouldn't use the word 'raucous'. I have noticed though that choristers nowadays sometimes struggle over high notes whereas in days of yore we all soared up to high Cs without too much trouble. Is this voice-production...or biology?

I've noticed that shift in treble sound, and have regarded it as a sympathetic move by DoMs, allowing boys to be more distinctively 'male' now that girl choristers are so commonplace. Zeitgeist and biology no doubt also play a part.

I thought the singing from York was impressive - real energy and earnestness, together with care in preparation - and the best we've heard from there for a long time. I put it down to RS's leadership rather than any northern archiepiscopal magic.

[mercia]

just listening to the repeat, who is the composer of Marlborough Gate please?

[DracoM]

Good question - done a google. Nothing pertinent. Title listed and merely 'Marlborough Gate' appended with no author.

[Wolsey]

just listening to the repeat, who is the composer of Marlborough Gate please?

Wayne Marshall (50 years old already). NEH 340 (second tune)

[mercia]

oh right, thanks, well done him, nice tune, sort of Howells-ian (I thought) ?

[RAC]

just listening to the repeat, who is the composer of Marlborough Gate please?

Marlborough Gate is by Wayne Marshall (b.1961)
It's in New English Hymnal (1986) at 340 (2nd tune)
set to 4 verses by Timothy Dudley-Smith
Beyond all mortal praise God's name be ever blest, . . .

RAC

[gainasbass]

I, too, listened to the York CE on the Cathedral's Patronal Festival. I agree with all of the comments posted re the good job which RS is doing. My only criticism relates to the fact that the effect would have been better had tempi been more sypathetic to the acoustics of the building (these same comments also apply to St Paul's in recent times). I cut my teeth on attending CEs at York as a teenager in the mid 1950s (barely a decade after FAJ's appointment) during visits to family in the area, and nothing can compare with the devotion and musicianship (with little or no arm flapping in front of the choir in the accompanied sections) of those times. Indeed, these comments could also be applicable to the weekly BBC broadcasts of CE in those times when it was as though one was allowed to be a 'fly on the wall' during a service that woud have been held in any event, in spite of the presence of microphones etc, rather than a "concert performance" which seems to be the case in these 'modern' times'! However. long may BBC R3 broadcasts of CE continue!

[YorkTenor]

According to their own service list - boys and men.

I know this is again a very late reply, but I can confirm that it was years 6-8 boys and girls combined

[BBMmk2]

What a pity aI missed this CE. I have a close affinity with York Minster. My late uncle had his Memorial Service there.

[Magnificat]

I know this is again a very late reply, but I can confirm that it was years 6-8 boys and girls combined

YT

It was my surmising that as it was the Patronal Festival it might be that the service would be sung by the boys and girls combined with the men that led to Draco's reply that according to the York service list it was to be sung by the boys and men.

Why did they not change the information on their list so that their own congregation and any one reading it on - line would have been aware of the forces to be used?

I don't mind the combined front line being used and the service was well sung and I enjoyed it; but I do object to being misled.

Many other people listening to the service and thinking they were hearing the boys and men of York Minster would similarly have been unaware that the front line included all the senior boy and girl choristers and this wrong impression will have remained with them. Really, this is dishonest and should not happen.


VCC

[DracoM]

Very reluctantly, I have some sympathy with VCC on this.

I have no objection to mixing boys / girls, BUT I do object to basic misinformation. The York Orders of Service sheets should be accurate. The congregation at the Minster of course would have had no trouble realising that both sexes were represented, but listeners to R3, unless they had super-sensitive hearing, would have been very, very hard-put to it to detect the mix. We have been caught out before and no doubt will again.

EXCEPT that looking back at postings, almost everyone referred to the confidence and 'maturity' of treble tone, and maybe that was the giveaway that should have led us to question the York Minster official billing for the service.

Still, it takes nothing away from Robert Sharpe's achievement in welding together a very decent choir.