CE Chapel of Keble College, Oxford [R] 5.ii.20

[jonfan]

DracoM, not like you to be so vague. All these buts —— come on, we must be told.

[DracoM]

No: I am genuinely interested at how the same ensemble can elicit varying receptions.

For me, Keble were perfectly OK - tuning, phrasing etc, etc but..........sorry...[sorry - a word I have to use from time to time...] but they just did all they were asked and that was it. No more, no less. I just tend to find such ensembles a bit lacking in 'presence'.

Technically OK, but just......no more or less than other Oxbridge student-led ensembles. Incidentally, VERY convenient for BBC that they have access to so many good ensembles within easily navigable and within reach cities. AND so good that these colleges are breeding young singers who will enrich us. Don't mistake my meaning.

Personally, I find the boy / girl led ensembles more interesting. Hence my concern for the Drome situation and what that may represent.

[jonfan]

Thank you for explaining and yes I understand what you mean by ‘presence’, it’s the something else which defies definition in words. For me, at the moment, the very special presence can be found at Trinity College, Cambridge, and the overflowing richness of their webcasts, both in sound and also visually on You Tube. Their singing of Psalm 23 to the Walford Davies chant is one of life’s most enriching experiences IMHO.

[mw963]

Well I would agree with you DracoM that - both for my own tastes, and compared to to what used to go on on broadcast CEs - I would prefer many more cathedral broadcasts and fewer college/chapel type relays. I started a thread on that a few years ago, but the BBC seem determine to do as few cathedral broadcasts as possible, which increasingly for me (given that I only tune in to Radio 3 for CE) means that I forget to listen live entirely. That's what happens when a station alienates its audience of course.

But if we are to have so many college broadcasts then I think that what we got from Keble and from MM was unbeatable. Particularly for me in the lack of vibrato, which thankfully seems to be becoming less and less of a problem in these non-cathedral venues....

[Miles Coverdale]

Well I would agree with you DracoM that - both for my own tastes, and compared to to what used to go on on broadcast CEs - I would prefer many more cathedral broadcasts and fewer college/chapel type relays. I started a thread on that a few years ago, but the BBC seem determine to do as few cathedral broadcasts as possible

I don't think it's that the BBC are determined to broadcast as few cathedral services as possible, but rather that university college choirs are in a better position to adopt the one live, one recorded model increasingly in favour with the BBC for budgetary reasons.

[mopsus]

There are also more university choirs of the right standard to choose from. For example neither Keble nor Merton could have broadcast a couple of decades ago. Cathedrals used to do one broadcast live and record another, in the days when there was a broadcast of a (usually recorded) CE on Fridays.

[mw963]

I don't think it's that the BBC are determined to broadcast as few cathedral services as possible, but rather that university college choirs are in a better position to adopt the one live, one recorded model increasingly in favour with the BBC for budgetary reasons.

But that latest policy only came in last year. The drop in the frequency of cathedral relays really kicked off about five years ago.

@mopsus - yes, you're quite right, I remember that era, and wonderful it was too.

As you both imply though, the college scene has improved, whereas for various reasons the cathedrals - or some of them - seem to be struggling to get on air.

More's the pity.

[TootSweet]

Well I would agree with you DracoM that - both for my own tastes, and compared to to what used to go on on broadcast CEs - I would prefer many more cathedral broadcasts and fewer college/chapel type relays. I started a thread on that a few years ago, but the BBC seem determine to do as few cathedral broadcasts as possible, which increasingly for me (given that I only tune in to Radio 3 for CE) means that I forget to listen live entirely. That's what happens when a station alienates its audience of course.

But if we are to have so many college broadcasts then I think that what we got from Keble and from MM was unbeatable. Particularly for me in the lack of vibrato, which thankfully seems to be becoming less and less of a problem in these non-cathedral venues....

Agree on all this. Not sure there was no vibrato..?