CE York Minster Wed, 17th July 2019 [L]

[jonfan]

He was excellent.

All you can say about the broadcast DracoM?

[edashtav]

I'm not a fan of Sir Jimmy's music but I thoroughly enjoyed it in the context of this week's CE. The music was performed wonderfully with a winning attention to detail.

[DracoM]

I'm not a fan of Sir Jimmy's music but I thoroughly enjoyed it in the context of this week's CE. The music was performed wonderfully with a winning attention to detail.

Yes in all respects.

[Roger Judd]

It may be of interest to know that the MacMillan Canticles, commissioned by the Cathedral Organists' Association, where written for a very specific purpose. He was asked to write a set that would emulate the Tudor 'Short' services, and make a useful addition to the Friday unaccompanied Evensong that so many places observe. In that, I think he fulfilled the commission excellently well, and it is nice to think that his little musical 'mannerisms' will enliven cold Friday evenings in November!
As has been said above, a totally excellent service from the start even unto the finish thereof.
RJ

[mopsus]

Yes, there are not many post-Tudor unaccompanied settings of the canticles that are worth doing. A few years ago a choir I sing in visited Westminster Abbey. We need an unaccompanied setting for the Friday, but didn't want a Tudor one because we were singing repertoire from that period the following day. After considering Naylor in A and the like we settled for Stanford in F - usually regarded as the weakest of his mature canticle settings.

[DracoM]

Might have been exciting to hear York doing Stanford in F then.

[edashtav]

Might have been exciting to hear York doing Stanford in F then.

Yes, indeed, a work I've neither heard nor sung.

[Caussade]

Yes, indeed, a work I've neither heard nor sung.

There are two. One quite substantial one with lots of divisi which in my recollection isn’t actually too bad, and another, shorter, one which in my recollection should never have been committed to paper, it’s such irredeemable garbage.

[Y Mab Afradlon]

There are two. One quite substantial one with lots of divisi which in my recollection isn’t actually too bad, and another, shorter, one which in my recollection should never have been committed to paper, it’s such irredeemable garbage.

Neither Stanford in F or The Queen's Service is unaccompanied.

If anyone is looking for a post Tudor unaccompanied set of Canticles Can I suggest John McCabe's Norwich Canticles commissioned for the Norwich Triennial Festival in 1970 and written in memoriam of Brian Runnett. It is published by Novello.

[Wolsey]

Neither Stanford in F or The Queen's Service is unaccompanied.

Pedant alert: The Queens' Service

Members of both universities get rather touchy about St Catherine's (O)/St Catharine's (C); Magdalen (O)/Magdalene (C); The Queen's (O)/Queens' (C)