CE Royal School of Church Music Summer Course Wed, May 1st 2019 [A]

[jonfan]

Well as I think I said a few months ago, I suspect that over a pint or two we'd find we agreed about a great deal..... Long may it last.

Cheers!
And thanks Weston for clarifying there were no girls on the top line; a memorable broadcast you can be proud of.

[DracoM]

I do NOT 'despise' the repertoire. Not a word I used at all. I just did not find it terribly exciting.

[mw963]

Well no you didn't use that word DracoM, but experience of some of your <<damned by faint praise>> comments in the past tell us - at least approximately - what you think privately.

I realise that you do your best to kick start discussions on here, for which I think we're grateful. But it's clear (and this applies to ardcarp as well) that you would prefer more of the broadcasts to be a little more <<challenging>> musically than the sort of thing we had this afternoon.

Whereas us lesser mortals - speaking for myself at least - enjoy a good tune once in a while, along with good singing.

I meant to say in my original, I too LOVED the second chant. Very special.

[Wolsey]

It was wonderful to hear accomplished singing from the best of our parish church choristers and young choirmen under Martin How's legendary and inspirational leadership, as well as Peter King's excellent accompaniment which rose well above the description of "some decent organ playing". As a chorister myself on two such cathedral courses and broadcasts in the 1970s, and as someone who sang under and played for Martin in my formative years - as well as attending his choir-training seminars, I agree with the phrase which has appeared in a Facebook discussion (featuring a number of cathedral DoMs) arising from this service that Martin How is "the best Cathedral Organist England never had". In answer to Omega Consort's question, the separate boys'/girls' courses appear to have long gone, the summer ones at Bath possibly being the last such example.

[PeterboroughDiapason]

I was also singing (alto) in this service. I'm biased, of course, but I think it was amazing what Martin How got out of ordinary parish church choirboys on a course such as this. We sang a lot of music, some very difficult: the broadcast service was just one service among the other daily ones and I don't think it got much special attention. I must say, I'd forgotten how good the Atkins service was and, yes, Peter King's organ playing was superb.

[Finzi4ever]

And I would contend again that the technical balance achieved was excellent, as it almost always was back in those days. What slightly surprised me was the absence of the action-clicking on the organ which is something I very much associate with Hereford....

That will be the infamous Harrison action noise to which you refer (1970s, I guess) which though it would make HW spin in his grave, over time actually becomes part of the instrument's distinctive sound world and I'd probably miss it if it were changed. It is very distinctive if you are in the choir at Durham too.

[DracoM]

Rpt today @ 3 p.m.

[mw963]

That will be the infamous Harrison action noise to which you refer (1970s, I guess) which though it would make HW spin in his grave, over time actually becomes part of the instrument's distinctive sound world and I'd probably miss it if it were changed. It is very distinctive if you are in the choir at Durham too.

Thanks for the confirmation. As you say, part of the scene....