CE King’s College, Cambridge Wed, 13th March 2019 [L]

[DracoM]

CE King’s College, Cambridge


Order of Service:


Introit: A Litany (Walton)
Responses: Rose
Psalm 69 (Chard, Morley)
First Lesson: Ruth 1: 6-19
Canticles: Rubbra in A flat
Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 13: 1-13
Anthem: Crucifixus (Leighton)

Voluntary: Fantasies on Hymn Tunes (Aus der Tiefe) Op 72 No 2 (Leighton)

Henry Websdale & Donal McCann (Organ Scholars)
Stephen Cleobury (Director of Music)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000358p

[ardcarp]

Good to see the Rubbra canticles...which I don't think come around so often. Not sure what 'Crucifixus' by Leighton is. Is it the whole mini-cantata Crucifixus Pro Nobis? Or just Drop, Drop Slow Tears from the end of it? Or something else?

[Vox Humana]

Not sure what 'Crucifixus' by Leighton is. Is it the whole mini-cantata Crucifixus Pro Nobis? Or just Drop, Drop Slow Tears from the end of it? Or something else?

I hope they are doing the whole cantata. There is no hymn scheduled, so they could just about squeeze in all 15 minutes of it. A very powerful work IMO.

[DracoM]

Reminder: today @ 3.30 p.m.

[ardcarp]

Fabulous! So glad to hear the whole of Leighton's Crucifixus Pro Nobis. It is, in parts, Leighton's most Brittenesque piece...and though as far as I know Pears never sang the tenor role, one could imagine it suiting his inimitable style. I thought the choral scholar who did it was really excellent, and I'm glad he got a mention at the end. It's quite a demanding thing to do. The final Drop, Drop always bring tears to the eyes. Again, fabulous. If that was SC's final CE, then what a way to go. Glad the trebles had some 'personality' in their voices; and ATB excellent, of course.

[Awkwardlistener]

Gosh I got quite emotional. Not at all what I expected. A totally atypical king’s sound - trebles with ringing vibrato and colour, black sounding basses and what altos! The tenor deserves a well earnt drink. Interesting as Cleobury has aged his choirs reflect more the work of his earlier career and training at St John’s and Westminster Cathedral. With the sublime St John’s webcast from last week I don’t think Cambridge choirs have ever been in such rude health since the late 90’s.

[mopsus]

It may be significant that KCC has been directed by someone else (?Christopher Robinson) for most of this term while Stephen Cleobury has been recovering from surgery. No mention of this being his final broadcast before retirement - perhaps there will be something from 'Easter at King's' or another evensong.

[mw963]

I'm afraid that that 15 minutes of Leighton failed to change my utter loathing for his ugly music, and I did do my best. I looked up the words and thought what a pity Leighton had spoiled such moving prose with his awful provocative discords.

My guess is that all the people who rave about Leighton are "professional" singers, but I don't think - as in my case mostly one of the great unwashed - I'm the only one who can and does avoid Leighton as far as possible.

What was worse - and what no one has commented on - was that the words were unintelligible in this performance (apart from the soloist) - hence my having to look them up, and I was listening under ideal conditions. This may well have been an engineering problem rather than one of performance. My guess is that the comments above come from people who are already familiar with the words and thus failed to remark on this deficiency.....

All that said, I did enjoy the "sound" of the choir very much.

[Vox Humana]

My guess is that all the people who rave about Leighton are "professional" singers

Well, I'm not.

[Finzi4ever]

A real and rare treat to have the two best settings of 'Drop, drop' in one place and both sung supremely well. The best sound from King's in a long, long time. I agree with Ardcap on the Rubbra: they used to be heard here much more frequently, but our resident 'bearded wonder' will, I am sure, put me right on this, whether he sports a beard or no.

[ardcarp]

I'm afraid that that 15 minutes of Leighton failed to change my utter loathing for his ugly music, and I did do my best. I looked up the words and thought what a pity Leighton had spoiled such moving prose with his awful provocative discords.

My guess is that all the people who rave about Leighton are "professional" singers, but I don't think - as in my case mostly one of the great unwashed - I'm the only one who can and does avoid Leighton as far as possible.

What was worse - and what no one has commented on - was that the words were unintelligible in this performance (apart from the soloist) - hence my having to look them up, and I was listening under ideal conditions. This may well have been an engineering problem rather than one of performance. My guess is that the comments above come from people who are already familiar with the words and thus failed to remark on this deficiency.....

Did you manage to listen to the final movement, the unacc. Drop Drop Slow Tears which Finzi4 mentioned? That really is beautiful. IMHO, of course.

[Nick Armstrong]

I thought the choral scholar who did it was really excellent, and I'm glad he got a mention at the end.

Yes his performance was fantastic. James Micklethwaite is one of the 24-carat voices in the choir at the moment - with another of them, alto Joe Zubier, he performed Britten's Abraham and Isaac Canticle at a recital I went to last year. Impossible to imagine it being better sung - both singers are 'the real thing' and I'm sure we'll hear much more of them individually in future.

This CE was terrific, I thought - a Leighton-fest plus the Rubbra, what a programme! I agree that the music allowed the altos in particular to shine, and shine they did.

Incidentally, I'm not a "professional" (nor any other kind of) singer and I'm happy to rave about Leighton

[Edgy 2]

I'm not a "professional" (nor any other kind of) singer and I'm happy to rave about Leighton [/COLOR]

Same here,I’m happy to rave about Rubbra’s sacred music too.
Both surely deserve to be at the heart of the English church music repertoire.

[hmvman]

Leighton's setting of the Coventry Carol is very fine, IMHO, and 'approachable'. I'm not a professional singer but an amateur one.

[ardcarp]

I’m happy to rave about Rubbra’s sacred music too.

The choir of Gonville and Caius has recorded some of Rubbra's choral music. (The CD also has some Patrick Hadley.) Highly recommended.

https://www.discogs.com/Patrick-Hadley-Edmund-Rubbra-The-Choir-Of-Gonville-Caius-College-Sacred-Choral-Music/release/7240334