Truro Cathedral Webcast evensong

[ardcarp]

given 'The Twelve' is not all that straightforward

Truro made a splendid job of The Twelve. May I just bring to the attention of others the splendid CD This Worldes Joie by Schola Cantorum of Oxford which has works by Britten, Bax, Blatchley, Pott, Rose (Bernard...no, not the resonses) Howells, Swayne (yes, the Magnificat) Moore and Walton (The Twelve). One would go a long way to find this repertory done so well. The treble duet in The Twelve is particularly affecting. [GMCD 7139]

[muticus]

The Twelve is indeed a bit of a 'beast' - we had it at evensong on Sunday - and v good it was too - our esteemed DoM only brings it out in 'good years'!

[Keraulophone]

Schola Cantorum of Oxford ... The treble duet in The Twelve is particularly affecting.

Wouldn't it have been sung by undergraduate sopranos rather than boy trebles on this disc? I suppose because it is so hard to bring off, it's partly the perceived achievement of 12/13yr old boys singing it that seems to add to the aural experience. [One might expect Oxford sops to have a better understanding of Auden's lines than would the youngsters, but in fact this second stanza isn't particularly obscure.]

[ardcarp]

Wouldn't it have been sung by undergraduate sopranos rather than boy trebles on this disc?

Oh yes, I wasn't implying it was trebles.....my daughter was one of them! But not all under-graduates. Schola keeps some of its sopranos for a while. I gather the oldest is usually called Ada Brady (cockney for old lady?) meaning she knows she ain't got long to go. Incidentally, comparing boys' versus women's recordings, try St John's (Robinson) with Schola (Shepherd) versions of Take him earth for cherishing (Howells). Both very mature and both get to the heart of the piece.

[muticus]

Look out for the wonderful - forthcoming Trinity, cambridge recording of Howells, including T him E, I heard some of it in rehearsal last weekend, absolutely beautiful.

[BBMmk2]

If anyone goes on their website, there is a rather good cd called 'A Vierne Collection'. I reccomenmd this cd quite highly.