CE: Ely Cathedral Wed, 30th Jan 2019 [L]

[DracoM]

CE: Ely Cathedral


Order of Service:


Introit: Lux (Ola Gjeilo)
Responses: Philip Moore
Psalms 147, 148 (Murrill, Bairstow)
First Lesson: Nehemiah 2: 1-10
Office hymn: See how the age-long promise of a Saviour (Iste Confessor)
Canticles: The Second Service (Hunt)
Second Lesson: Romans 12: 1-8
Anthem: Vast Ocean of Light (Dove)


Voluntary: Te Deum (Demessieux)


Edmund Aldhouse (Assistant Organist)
Paul Trepte (Director of Music)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00028b2

[Quilisma]

This will be Paul Trepte's final BBC Radio 3 Choral Evensong broadcast before he steps down as Director of Music on Easter Day, having held the post since 1990. As it turns out, he will in fact be succeeded by the current Assistant Organist, Edmund Aldhouse, for whom therefore this will also presumably be the final broadcast at the keyboard rather than in front of the choir. It will also be the first time the choir has broadcast without the girl choristers since 2013; the girls have an extremely busy schedule this term, and particularly over Candlemas, so this broadcast will be boys and adults.

The haunting and somewhat elusive Hunt Second Service has been scheduled as a tribute to the late Donald Hunt. Paul Trepte was one of Hunt's choristers and students at Leeds Parish Church and later worked for him again as Assistant Organist at Worcester Cathedral, and Hunt was a lifelong mentor and supporter to him throughout his career. Hunt Second Service is in fact a completely new addition to the Ely repertoire, and I understand that, unlike some other settings from the 1970s, it is rather rarely heard today.

[DracoM]

Thx for excellent background. Much appreciated.

[Quilisma]

It's a pleasure! The BBC Radio Outside Broadcast van is in situ by the South Door already...

[Alison]

Good to see an internal promotion.

Difficult to imagine Ely without Paul Trepte.

[Quilisma]

The intention was merely to inform, but thanks!

Indeed, but there is sure to be a healthy mixture of continuity and change. PT's legacy is huge and will always be celebrated.

[Rolmill]

The intention was merely to inform, but thanks!

I suspect Alison was referring to the internal promotion of Mr Aldhouse, rather than your interesting post...

[Quilisma]

I suspect Alison was referring to the internal promotion of Mr Aldhouse, rather than your interesting post...

Ha! Yes, I thought that was what she meant; I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek... Marvellous he is too!

[Finzi4ever]

Good to see an internal promotion.

Difficult to imagine Ely without Paul Trepte.

That's what was thought when AWW retired...

[Quilisma]

Yes, indeed, and through a judicious mixture of continuous innovation and innovative continuity (which, after all, is classic Ely) the vast Wills legacy has lived on by taking its rightful place in the living history: in the metaphorical DNA of the stones themselves and of the musicians, even though most of them were not even born when he was DoM. AWW's music continues to be programmed frequently, and he still attends very regularly, even at 92. (The last Ely broadcast before today's, on 9th November 2016, which uncannily, considering Ninth Evening psalmody, was the dreaded "Trump Day", was in honour of AWW's 90th birthday.) There have also been at least a couple of Wills recordings during the Trepte era. I'm confident that PT's legacy will similarly be curated in precisely the right way!

[DracoM]

Reminder: today @ 3.30p.m.

[Finzi4ever]

Yes, indeed, and through a judicious mixture of continuous innovation and innovative continuity (which, after all, is classic Ely) the vast Wills legacy has lived on by taking its rightful place in the living history: in the metaphorical DNA of the stones themselves and of the musicians, even though most of them were not even born when he was DoM. AWW's music continues to be programmed frequently, and he still attends very regularly, even at 92. (The last Ely broadcast before today's, on 9th November 2016, which uncannily, considering Ninth Evening psalmody, was the dreaded "Trump Day", was in honour of AWW's 90th birthday.) There have also been at least a couple of Wills recordings during the Trepte era. I'm confident that PT's legacy will similarly be curated in precisely the right way!

That is great to hear, not least as an Old Chorister.

[Quilisma]

That is great to hear, not least as an Old Chorister.

Have no fear, the future here is in very safe, respectful, intelligent and understanding hands. And if someone were ever to try to make fundamental changes to the general sonic palette and style of delivery, particularly towards a more "mainstream" sound, the building's acoustic would express its disapproval by making it dull and only intermittently audible! There is method in the madness, and in context it makes perfect sense... So I doubt that aspect will change too much, at least!

[ardcarp]

Thanks Ely. I enjoyed the Hunt canticles very much. What an assured treble soloist in the Mag...singing with 'keyboard' accuracy.

[Quilisma]

Thanks Ely. I enjoyed the Hunt canticles very much. What an assured treble soloist in the Mag...singing with 'keyboard' accuracy.

The aforementioned soloist found this review rather amusing! It's very challenging solo writing indeed. Suffice to say, this massively narrows the options in such instances wherein latterly, on balance, Plan A could no longer be absolutely guaranteed to be vocally 100% secure by the time broadcast day comes, even if still more than capable of doing it very well indeed under most circumstances. The original dedicatee Leeds treble, Paul Dutton, must have been an extremely fine singer and musician. (Presumably the original dedicatee Leeds bass, John Wheeler, was rather good too.) I suspect the distinctly non-trivial solos, both in the Mag and in the Nunc, are the main reason why these canticles are sung so rarely. The soloists basically have to put blinkers on, more or less shut everything else out, trust totally in their own reading skills, pitching and rhythmic accuracy, believe that what comes out must be what the composer intended, and fire. Balance is a big problem too, because the writing is sometimes rather unrealistic, with solo lines pitted against thick choral textures, and one simply has to try to find a way of making a really big noise and take some of the dynamic markings with a very large pinch of salt. That might not necessarily be the case in other acoustic conditions, but it certainly is under the Octagon of Ely Cathedral!