Chapel of St John’s College, Cambridge Wed, 6.iii.2019 [L]

[Vile Consort]

Fine singing, fine discipline, BUT the tempi..........?

Lent is a time of repentance - yes, and Ash Wednesday signals it - yes, and DOM Nethsingha obviously well knows what his team can do and do well, but for me the tempi partic of 'Ne Irascaris' was such as to rob it a lot of its drama, immediacy, and inner energy. Frankly it became a finely sung wallow. The skill needed to bring that off is terrific and I am in no way disparaging the musicianship of any participants.

And there was me thinking how wonderful those spacious tempi were!

[Y Mab Afradlon]

but for me the tempi partic of 'Ne Irascaris' was such as to rob it a lot of its drama, immediacy, and inner energy. Frankly it became a finely sung wallow. The skill needed to bring that off is terrific and I am in no way disparaging the musicianship of any participants.

Lacked the robustness that was characteristic of George's interpretation. I felt that AN was keeping the horses so tight on the bridle because he feared that they would gallop away. Still far better than most recent performance of this magical piece I've heard.

[ardcarp]

I felt that AN was keeping the horses so tight on the bridle because he feared that they would gallop away.

I don't think the choir of St John's would need any sort of rein. It's just AN's expansive view of this repertoire. I agree about Ne Irascaris though. For my taste it was just a bit bland and emotionless, though very beautifully sung. AN's father Lucien was also given to very measured and immaculately blended performances. Incidentally, George Guest's latter performances of the Allegri were amazingly 'broad' and I just wondered how the singers did it! I thought today's top C treble was incredible...absolutely bullet-proof.

As there's been talk of NCO [rather irrelevantly] on this thread:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfmTIRN3efs

Quite a young-looking Higginbottom, so maybe from a pre-hyper-expressive phase. Very poised indeed.

[Keraulophone]

As there's been talk of NCO [rather irrelevantly] on this thread

Sorry - their recording of Ne Irascaris was the closest match I could find on YT, and it was an host that, in reply, began the NCO chatter!

[ardcarp]

I'm happy to talk about NCO anywhere. anytime! The link to their Ne Irascaris shows an utterly different approach from what we heard today. Apart from anything else it lasted about half as long! I always though Higginbottom had a tremendous 'feel' for English music of this period...and slightly earlier.

[Keraulophone]

I'm happy to talk about NCO anywhere. anytime!

Idem!

[DracoM]

Back to today, if I may break the..erm...., well anyway, the SECOND treble in the solo group deserves congrats too: rock steady, supportive and apparently has mastered how to sing without taking any breath at all.

Completely agree with ardcarp about the solo treb in the Allegri.

That first four minutes was cringeworthy - HAD to be by BBC order, surely, surely?

[mopsus]

Civitas sancti tui is definitely the theme tune of Radio 3 Choral Evensong in Lent. It was broadcast on CE last year, and in 2017 there were three performances in as many weeks in the CE slot! (Presumably because the producers didn't realise that it was also the second part of Ne irascaris Domine.)

[Miles Coverdale]

I notice AN modified the awkward 'ficta' note in Ne Irascaris. I'm all for it.

The OUP edition suppresses the sharp in question, though some older editions don't. What I find rather irritating is when choirs sing the original reading and do so in a way which says 'Look at us, we're doing it right'. I'm pretty sure it's a rare proof-reading lapse on Byrd's part.

[Miles Coverdale]

I hope no one listening thought the opening words of the service were from the Book of Common Prayer, as announced.

No? They're in the copy of the BCP I have, though printed as part of Morning Prayer.

[Roger Judd]

Puzzled by 'the cringeworthy first four minutes'. After the brief introduction, the General Confession, Absolution were said as laid down in the Book of Common Prayer for Morning and Evening Prayer (the Lord's Prayer was omitted). They are commonly used during seasons of penitence, such as Lent or Advent, and I doubt the BBC had anything to do with it.
Fabulous service ... nothing more to say!
RJ

[ardcarp]

I think it was just the first minute that was extra BCP.

[Miles Coverdale]

I think it was just the first minute that was extra BCP.

Perhaps it was there to make the beginning more comprehensible to those who may not ordinarily listen to or attend church services, a not unworthy aim, one could argue.

[jonfan]

Lent definitely started for me with this service. Peerless singing with a passionate Italianate Allegri with heart on the sleeve emotion. Hard to get used to hearing ‘pigs’ instead of ‘swine’ in the prodigal son parable; still cherish DW reading this in the classic Argo recording (now on CD).

[silvestrione]

I'm new to this thread. It's all very interesting, but I would appreciate fewer mysterious capitals. DROME, DW...I can get BCP