CE Chapel of Eton College 20th July 2011

[DracoM]

CE Chapel of Eton College
Second 2011 Eton Choral Course



Order of Service:


Introit: Never weather-beaten sail (Parry)
Responses: Rose
Psalm: 104 (Walmisley, Edwards)
First Lesson: Judges 15: 1 – 16: 3
Office Hymn: Dear Lord and Father of mankind (Repton)
Canticles: Magnificat (Finzi) and Nunc dimittis (Holst)
Second Lesson: Luke 18: 15-30
Anthem: At the round Earth's imagined corners (Parry)
Hymn: All creatures of our God and King (Lasst uns erfreuen)


Organ Voluntary: Fantasia and Fugue in G major (Parry)



Organist: Alexander Ffinch
Director of Music: Ralph Allwood

[Keraulophone]

Prince Charles would enjoy this, after telling us of his love for CHHP's music in a recent TV documentary (although he didn't seem to have discovered very much of it). I would love to hear on CE a choir sing the original version of Repton from Parry's oratorio Judith, 'Long since in Egypt's plenteous land'. Long since we heard it bring CE from Chichester (dir. Alan Thurlow) to a magical, tranquil close. In case dusty copies of 'Judith' aren't lurking in the crypt, it can be found in Novello Short Anthems Collection 1 ed. David Hill, who made a fine recording of the orchestral version when he was at Winchester.

[Wolsey]

It's also a showcase of compositions of one its musical alumni.

[Magnificat]

Prince Charles would enjoy this, after telling us of his love for CHHP's music in a recent TV documentary (although he didn't seem to have discovered very much of it). I would love to hear on CE a choir sing the original version of Repton from Parry's oratorio Judith, 'Long since in Egypt's plenteous land'. Long since we heard it bring CE from Chichester (dir. Alan Thurlow) to a magical, tranquil close. In case dusty copies of 'Judith' aren't lurking in the crypt, it can be found in Novello Short Anthems Collection 1 ed. David Hill, who made a fine recording of the orchestral version when he was at Winchester.

K

It's a very regular item in the boys' repertoire at St Albans.

VCC

[Keraulophone]

Excellent... though I wouldn't want it to be too regular: once a year would be fine! Is it sung in full choir services (by the boys) or when the gentlemen are absent? It's sometimes a moving and even humbling experience to sit down and listen to the boys sing an anthem on their own when we're all there: such like Britten's New Year Carol, or the Duruflé Pie Jesu - can life's rewards get much better than this?

[Magnificat]

K

The boys sing most of the midweek services on their own at St Albans so I suppose this anthem likely to be sung two or three times a year rather than just once. The last part of it always seems quite tricky to me.

VCC

[Keraulophone]

K

The boys sing most of the midweek services on their own at St Albans VCC

I hadn't realised that at St Albans there were so many trebles-only services. Just glancing at the current music list shows that during the first week of July (3-9) the full choir sang only at weekends, with the boys and girls singing two evensongs each on weekdays. No wonder they do 'Long since' more than once a year! All the more admirable that the choir sings so brilliantly on so few full services; of course, you have a larger pool of fine gents to call upon than we have down here. I once saw the name of Rogers Covey-Crump on the dep list at St Albans... useful to be able to engage a member of the Hilliard Ensemble when a tenor lay clerk is away, or to sing the occasional Evangelist!

There used to be a similar pattern at Truro before the Cathedral School was closed in 1982 (after a 400 year history - 300 longer than the Cathedral itself), with only one full choir midweek service, but successive DoMs have somehow managed to do away with all regular trebles-only services, to the tremendous benefit of the choir as a whole. That 'somehow' includes the introduction of choral scholars during Andrew Nethsingha's time, and the continuous and enthusiastic support of the Cathedral's music by successive Deans and Chapters. Such progress has not been easily achieved in these straightened economic times, but the results are there for all to hear.

[njfreestone]

Prince Charles would enjoy this, after telling us of his love for CHHP's music in a recent TV documentary (although he didn't seem to have discovered very much of it). I would love to hear on CE a choir sing the original version of Repton from Parry's oratorio Judith, 'Long since in Egypt's plenteous land'. Long since we heard it bring CE from Chichester (dir. Alan Thurlow) to a magical, tranquil close. In case dusty copies of 'Judith' aren't lurking in the crypt, it can be found in Novello Short Anthems Collection 1 ed. David Hill, who made a fine recording of the orchestral version when he was at Winchester.

The Tewkesbury and Gloucester choristers sung it in their joint concert earlier as part of the Cheltenham Festival earlier this month, also.

[Magnificat]

I hadn't realised that at St Albans there were so many trebles-only services. Just glancing at the current music list shows that during the first week of July (3-9) the full choir sang only at weekends, with the boys and girls singing two evensongs each on weekdays. No wonder they do 'Long since' more than once a year! All the more admirable that the choir sings so brilliantly on so few full services; of course, you have a larger pool of fine gents to call upon than we have down here. I once saw the name of Rogers Covey-Crump on the dep list at St Albans... useful to be able to engage a member of the Hilliard Ensemble when a tenor lay clerk is away, or to sing the occasional Evangelist!

There used to be a similar pattern at Truro before the Cathedral School was closed in 1982 (after a 400 year history - 300 longer than the Cathedral itself), with only one full choir midweek service, but successive DoMs have somehow managed to do away with all regular trebles-only services, to the tremendous benefit of the choir as a whole. That 'somehow' includes the introduction of choral scholars during Andrew Nethsingha's time, and the continuous and enthusiastic support of the Cathedral's music by successive Deans and Chapters. Such progress has not been easily achieved in these straightened economic times, but the results are there for all to hear.

K

The boys actually sing three days Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and the girls Wednesday and Friday.

You are quite right, the superb men have long been the great strength of the Abbey choir. They are all vastly experienced and skillful singers even if not professionals except for Rogers but he started his career at St Albans and sang tenor for 10 years or so before his professional career took off and actually sings quite regularly with the choir when between engagements. Some of the men have told me that they feel that doing just weekends makes for much more freshness about their singing.

The boys having to sing so much on their own does, of course, make them very able and confident singers as they are so exposed and any mistakes will be clear for all to hear.

It is demanding work for Andrew Lucas to do so many services with boys only to the high standards set by Barry Rose and it must be much easier for him to have some men behind them even just the six they have on Saturdays but he is a brilliant choir trainer.

I wonder just how many people ( other than those who listen to CE regularly or frequent this message board ) know that two of the finest cathedral choirs of men and boys in the country are to be found not in Oxbridge, London, Winchester, Canterbury and York but at unfashionable Truro and St Albans?

VCC

VCC

[DracoM]

Erm, yes, VCC, I think both on the old R3 boards and on these a good number have made that abundantly clear.

[DracoM]

Some wonderfully robust organ playing by Alex Ffinch - the Parry vol was nicely balanced and quite exciting. Look forward to hear what proper organ buffs thought.

Rest of service was in two distinct parts for me: the psalms did not sound altogether together at times, but for me the Finzi and Holst canticles were thrillingly sung. Better matched voices than in some previous broadcast Eton Course CEs, some excellent soprano work, and nicely sensitive tenors. The introit was ...well, OK, not something I'd actually rush to a cathedral to hear again, BUT the anthem was a revelation - well, for me it was. And to my surprise, I really did like it, and very well sung too.

[Ravensbourne]

How did they get away with that offensive second lesson? It wasn't the advertised one.

A good way to bring about the ending of live broadcasts of religious programmes, maybe.

[Vile Consort]

How did they get away with that offensive second lesson? It wasn't the advertised one.

A good way to bring about the ending of live broadcasts of religious programmes, maybe.

Wasn't comfortable listening, was it?

But those of us of a liberal disposition often criticise the Christian Right for ignoring those parts of the bible that contradict their prejudices. It would be hypocritical to do the same. Fortunately, the bible provides passages that will support almost any reasonable (and many unreaonable!) points of view.

That said, when I used to read first lessons at Evensong, I was once given a passage so horrendous that I seriously considered refusing to read it.

[gainasbass]

I couldn't agree more about First Lessons at Matins and Evensong. Re the one from Eton College, why was it changed from the one advertised (which, relating some of Samson's escapades, IMO would have been preferable!)? This incident has reminded me that when a friend of mine was enjoying the privilege of attending Evensong at York in the organ loft at the invitation of FAJ (as was the custom following his organ lesson in preparation for the FRCO Exam), the great man turned to my friend during the reading of the 1st Lesson and said in his inimitable way - "what an extra-ordinary tale!!". This sums up the majority of FLs, but then they are an established feature of the Offices of Matins and Evensong!

Re the the service in general from Eton College, I agree that the standard of singing was extremely high, and through this course in particular the supply of a fair percentage of choral scholars and lay clerks is being assured on an annual basis.

[amateur51]

How did they get away with that offensive second lesson? It wasn't the advertised one.

A good way to bring about the ending of live broadcasts of religious programmes, maybe.

Any chance of a summary or reference, please?