CE Chapel of Magdalen College, Oxford Wed, May 8th 2019 [L]

[DracoM]

CE Chapel of Magdalen College, Oxford


Order of Service:


Introit: Vox dei (Philip Wilby)
Responses: Tomkins
Psalms 41, 42, 43 (Parratt, Wesley, Martin)
First Lesson: Genesis 3: 8-21
Canticles: Magnificat octavi toni (Bevan); Nunc dimittis (Tye)
Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 15: 12-28
Anthem: As truly as God is our father (Mathias)
Hymn: Light’s abode, celestial salem (Regent Square)

Voluntary: Alleluyas (Simon Preston)

Alexander Pott (Assistant Organist)
Rupert Jackson (Organ Scholar)

Mark Williams (Informator Choristarum)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0004s57

[Alison]

Always good to see (L)!

Magdalen seems to come round rather often but I’m not complaining.

[DracoM]

Always good to see (L)!

Magdalen seems to come round rather often but I’m not complaining.

Erm.............I'm not sure about that at all - on my records at least. Last on CE in 2018, not AFAICS in 2016 or 2017.
Maybe someone else has better records and can clarify?

[subcontrabass]

Erm.............I'm not sure about that at all - on my records at least. Last on CE in 2018, not AFAICS in 2016 or 2017.
Maybe someone else has better records and can clarify?

March 2016.

Prior to that seems to be 2014, then annually before that.

[DracoM]

Yes annually before 2014, I have that.
BUT..............woops, looking back at my diary, I see I was ...erm....out of the country in March 2016.
Sorry..............!!!

[Y Mab Afradlon]

Magdalen should be on the annual list of visits, we have not heard from New College since Ash Wednesday 2018.

[DracoM]

Reminder: today @ 3.30 p.m.

[jonfan]

I didn’t enjoy this very much I’m afraid. The first piece sounded as though all the right notes were there but not in the right order. It didn’t put me in the frame for worship. The precentor sounded as though he thought he was in an opera and ensemble wasn’t tight throughout the broadcast. The psalms were beautifully and sensitively sung and a stunning final voluntary.

[DracoM]

Was it just my kit or were there some odd sound shifts during this service?
And, I have to agree with jonfan - stumbles and uncertainties here and there. I felt that a good choir was not really up for expressing itself and singing out as it can. Agree about the psalms, but elsewhere.........erm........?

[hmvman]

Was it just my kit or were there some odd sound shifts during this service?
And, I have to agree with jonfan - stumbles and uncertainties here and there. I felt that a good choir was not really up for expressing itself and singing out as it can. Agree about the psalms, but elsewhere.........erm........?

I thought the same. The balance today didn't seem right with the spoken parts too loud. I agree, too, about the opening piece not being quite right. However, I enjoyed the Mathias anthem and the Preston organ voluntary.

[oddoneout]

Was it just my kit or were there some odd sound shifts during this service?
And, I have to agree with jonfan - stumbles and uncertainties here and there. I felt that a good choir was not really up for expressing itself and singing out as it can. Agree about the psalms, but elsewhere.........erm........?

Glad it wasn't just me...

[mopsus]

I had the impression that the various sections weren't always listening to one another, and that sometimes one part (?altos) didn't come across as much as the others. And sometimes the tuning didn't seem quite right, though I couldn't really determine exactly where the mis-tuning was.

[Triforium]

I had the impression that the various sections weren't always listening to one another, and that sometimes one part (?altos) didn't come across as much as the others. And sometimes the tuning didn't seem quite right, though I couldn't really determine exactly where the mis-tuning was.

I would agree, although I certainly had no trouble hearing the altos in the last hymn... Some moldy intonation in the introit from the bass section, and general ensemble issues noticeable in the responses, etc. More than one onset not together for one reason or another. Not sure what happened with the engineering, but it sounded as though certain parts had to work very hard to be heard, and then suddenly...one wished they hadn't worked quite so hard. Tenors and Altos a bit excitable at times. The top line also seemed to fade at times as though a limiter were in use. I enjoyed the psalms.

[Finzi4ever]

I had the impression that the various sections weren't always listening to one another, and that sometimes one part (?altos) didn't come across as much as the others. And sometimes the tuning didn't seem quite right, though I couldn't really determine exactly where the mis-tuning was.

Genuine question: Is the Wilby written with quarter-tones?

[GregorZednik]

I really enjoyed the Bevan Magnificat. Beautifully weighted. And so much better than the rather idiosyncratic recording of St John's on their website. IMHO.