CE Rugby School Wed 24th April 2019 [L]

[DracoM]

CE Rugby School [L]


Order of Service:


Introit: Rise up, my love, my fair one (Willan)
Responses: Radcliffe
Psalm 119 vv.1-32 (Goss, Warborough, Barnby)
First Lesson: Isaiah 26: 1-19
Office hymn: Jesus lives! thy terrors now (St Albinus)
Canticles: Stanford in C
Second Lesson: John 20: 1-10
Anthem: Blessed be the God and Father (Wesley)
Hymn: Light’s glittering morn (Lasst uns erfreuen)

Voluntary: Suite Gothique (Toccata) (Boëllmann)

James Williams (Organist)
Richard Tanner (Director of Music)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0004drt

[Keraulophone]

Really looking forward to this.

The CE from the equally talented musicians of Lancing School Chapel was outstandingly fine.

‘Blessed be the G & F’ is one that I remember singing in school chapel with great affection, many moons ago. It was also Easter Day’s anthem at CE in Truro Cathedral sung by the combined choir of boys, girls, lady and gentlemen. Thrilling!

[jonfan]

Really looking forward to this.

The CE from the equally talented musicians of Lancing School Chapel was outstandingly fine.

‘Blessed be the G & F’ is one that I remember singing in school chapel with great affection, many moons ago. It was also Easter Day’s anthem at CE in Truro Cathedral sung by the combined choir of boys, girls, lady and gentlemen. Thrilling!

Agree. A very memorable CE from here last year.

[DracoM]

Reminder: today @ 3.30 p.m.

[DracoM]

Admirable, disciplined in pretty well standard programme. Enthusiastic and on the baton.
Felt the canticles might have gone a teeny tad quicker, but....
Good psalm singing discipline - always a touchstone.
And good cantor.

Thx.

[Keraulophone]

Felt the canticles might have gone a teeny tad quicker

I disagree. It is well known that Stanford in C is a classic case of ignoring the composer’s tempo indications. Most choirs perform it too fast. Bernard Rose, of Magdalen College fame, sang it in Stanford’s presence as a treble in Salisbury Cathedral Choir, and he loved to tick off (by postcard) those conductors whom he thought were ignoring the composer’s wishes.

The reverberation time of the building really ought to come into consideration as well, so, for example, a slower tempo could be sustained in Lancing College chapel than might be appropriate in the chapel of Rugby School.

.

[ardcarp]

Felt the canticles might have gone a teeny tad quicker,

Agreed. But it's become a bit of a fad to do Stanford in C at a Molto Maestoso tempo. The copy I have in front of me (regrettably marked 'Precentor' ) has Allegro Moderato. Any confusion may come from the Time Sig C (four/four) rather than a cut C (two/two). To my mind it cries out for an alla breve interpretation...and in my lay clerk days it was never done that slowly. However, in today's CE the choir sustained it well, so no complaints, Ironically the Gloria IS marked Maestoso! Make of that what you will.

Enjoyed the rarely heard Healey Willan introit.

Edit: I posted this before reading K's learned post. I still prefer it faster! I'd just add that the start of the Mag is marked Allegro Moderato crotchet=100 and the Gloria is marked Maestoso crotchet=100. Erm....is that Stanford or Stainer and Bell being slack?

[Wolsey]

Keraulophone is absolutely correct. Bernard Rose was a chorister at Salisbury under Sir Walter Alcock, and remembered Alcock - a friend of Stanford's - telling him of Stanford's puzzlement that organists should think that 'minim=100' was intended rather than what he had written, ‘crotchet=100’. Any unfortunate DoM who broadcast the setting on Choral Evensong at the incorrect speed i.e. too fast, was always put right, in no uncertain terms, by a curt postcard from Oxford.

[ardcarp]

...did anyone write back suggesting that crotchet = 100 in both Allegro Moderato and Maestoso doesn't make sense? Such a shame a Forum such as this wasn't around at the time.

On a wider issue, wouldn't music be terrible if we were hostages to tempo markings? And how often do composers conducting their own works contradict themselves...even in different recordings of the same piece?

[Gabriel Jackson]

...did anyone write back suggesting that crotchet = 100 in both Allegro Moderato and Maestoso doesn't make sense?

It makes perfect sense. 'Maestoso' means 'majestic' - not slow (or fast, for that matter)

[Wolsey]

...did anyone write back suggesting that crotchet = 100 in both Allegro Moderato and Maestoso doesn't make sense? [...] And how often do composers conducting their own works contradict themselves...even in different recordings of the same piece?

It is well documented that Stanford had a short temper, so were he alive today, I'd be standing well clear as you made these points to him.

[jonfan]

Terrific, spirited singing, full of Easter joy. Glad the singers came back a day early so we could enjoy the service. Thank you.
According to Richard Tanner’s twitter account the choir also recorded a Sunday Worship for next Sunday and a CE for 11 December. It must be hard going from Easter to Advent in a few hours. Makes sense of course while the engineering is in place.

[inquires]

Stanford

Keraulophone is absolutely correct. Bernard Rose was a chorister at Salisbury under Sir Walter Alcock, and remembered Alcock - a friend of Stanford's - telling him of Stanford's puzzlement that organists should think that 'minim=100' was intended rather than what he had written, ‘crotchet=100’. Any unfortunate DoM who broadcast the setting on Choral Evensong at the incorrect speed i.e. too fast, was always put right, in no uncertain terms, by a curt postcard from Oxford.

You can listen to a private recording on my Archive of Recorded Church Music YouTube Channel of Stanford in C from Magdalen College Chapel under Bernard Rose at what he considered was the correct speed. https://youtu.be/MHgjuhp74w8

[ardcarp]

What a lovely sound...and what a beautifully shaped performance. And those 1970s vowels !

[jonfan]

What a lovely sound...and what a beautifully shaped performance. And those 1970s vowels !

A period piece, lovingly felt. Every phrase was oozed out though, without feeling it was within the context of the whole canticle. I felt I needed a calendar instead of a watch. No, give me the Rugby speed, just right IMHO.