CE Bridlington Priory 3rd August 2011

[decantor]

Well, Draco, we agree about the acoustic - dead in my speakers as well - and several other things too. Granted that the choir was doing a pretty good job, what struck me most was that it was curiously constructed as a service. Why no responses? Why an opening congregational hymn, followed almost at once by an Office hymn? Why was the first anthem changed to provide another airing for the KJB prize-winning anthem when the chanted psalms did not use the KJB translation? And why two anthems separated by a few prayers? I can't deny that I quite enjoyed the service musically, but it did keep interrupting itself with conundrums.

I too found myself looking for Jewish connections in the viola addition to the Canticles - "Schindler's List" crossed my mind several times. I rather liked the Whitbourn settings - vivid contrasts in tempi and mood, the angular and fluent juxtaposed - but did wonder how essential the viola was. The first anthem teased again with its presumably deliberate Britten reference ("...malignity ceases, and the devils themselves are at peace") bracketing music designed for the Parish Easy Anthem Book: am I missing a subtlety? MacDowall also teased with contrasting sections (include some momentary barber-shopping) that ended up as somehow less than the sum of their parts (on one hearing, anyway!).

All in all, something of a curate's egg - which I'm afraid to say I found liturgically unsettling despite its musical interest. And yes, the closing voluntary came as joyous relief!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

DracoM, I appreciate message 14 and I'm grateful to you for reminding me of the service. Otherwise I might have forgotten to attend CE today.

To answer another question, Gainasbass, the atmosphere was a little tense, with a larger than normal CE congregation - they quick ran out of orders of service. Live Radio 3 broadcasts are very much a novelty round here.

[Y Mab Afradlon]

I am disappointed that, again this year, a member of a youth choir has posted a "we worked hard, don't say anything bad about us because we only had a short time together" comment in response from comments made by regular contributors to this forum. I also did not feel that Draco commented inappropriately about the choir's performance but offered creditable comments about the shortcomings of the music chosen for the service. Those accountable for the choice of programme are again found lacking and must take the lion's share of the criticism. When will they learn that they are being compared with Cathedral Choirs and should chose appropriate repertoire for young voices. Well done RSCM Singers a good job under the circumstances but oh producers and organisers please let them sing something that they will learn from and perform to the best of their ability and receive positive comments for their efforts. Young egos are fragile.

[chorister49]

Sorry to disappoint, Y Mab Afradion, but I'm not a member of the youth choir.

What music would you select for a Transfiguration service?

[DracoM]

Interestingly, the choir have just performed the same canticles earlier this week, once at York Minster, where I imagine the soundscape would have been radically different. So, even if they had had a very short time to learn them - and I do not dispute that at all - they will already have had some performance experience of them. They were, I gather, receiving their first broadcast performance in today's CE. Pity the Beeb did not tell us that? David Ogden has been associated with other Whitbourn work. Maybe 'Parish Easy Anthems Book' was just a tad harsh, but I see where decantor gets the idea from.

As decantor also rightly points out, the service itself was very oddly shaped indeed, and one has to wonder if the choir and DoM had arrived with one set of expectations of what they were to be doing, but the rehearsal / sound check timings necessitated some changes at the last minute? It does happen: the other week, the service was changed mid-tx!! I can't think of any other explanation. Good to know if anyone in an official position could help us out here?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

They were, I gather, receiving their first broadcast performance in today's CE. Pity the Beeb did not tell us that?

The Beeb man did mention this in the introductory chat before the red light came on.
They'll be singing the canticles again at Whitby today (Thursday).
The lack of spaciousness in the broadcast sound was undoubtedly due to some very close miking. This may have been to "improve" the balance between the choir and organ. I can't comment further until I hear Sunday's repeat. (I know it's on iPlayer, but that sounds rather feeble on my pathetic little laptop.)

[decantor]

<snip>(1)....... David Ogden has been associated with other Whitbourn work. Maybe 'Parish Easy Anthems Book' was just a tad harsh, but I see where decantor gets the idea from.

(2) As decantor also rightly points out, the service itself was very oddly shaped indeed, and one has to wonder if the choir and DoM had arrived with one set of expectations of what they were to be doing, but the rehearsal / sound check timings necessitated some changes at the last minute? It does happen: the other week, the service was changed mid-tx!! I can't think of any other explanation. Good to know if anyone in an official position could help us out here?

(1) I must clarify that my 'Parish Easy Anthem Book' remark referred to the Tolney anthem, not the Whitbourn Canticles. Ever mindful that Christopher Tolney may become aware of my remark, I stand by it: there was little to demand attention between the Britten quotations, I'm afraid. The Whitbourn Canticles were more demanding of the singers and rewarding for the listeners.

(2) We surely have the right to assume that, beyond extreme accidents, the service broadcast is the service intended. This broadcast was, however indirectly, under the auspices of the RSCM. It would be sad to think that its bizarre structure came about by accident.

[Lizzie]

What you may not have noticed on Radio 3 was that the organist's page turner "enlivened and even rescued" the Dupré itself after the organist had got muxed ip with with his stops.

I must listen to Sunday's repeat, but it didn't sound at all slow in the Priory, with its mighty acoustic. Again, most atmospheric "live".

The Mag and Nunc were great "in the flesh" - superb, in fact, but I found the McDowell somewhat tedious. She writes some nice flute music, but her choral writing doesn't impress.

Far from getting a bit mixed up with his Stop Changes and being rescued by his Page Turner, I think you should know that Daniel's electronic sequencer was suddenly and catastrophically affected by a local lightning strike, which reset it to zero. Hence he AND his Page Turner kept the show on the road. Even a fellow Organist of International repute recognised from a distance, during the broadcast, what had happened and, has offered Daniel his congratulations on his performance and on managing to avert disaster after every organist's nightmare. All is not necessarily what it seems... Just thought such should be clarified folks. Bws. Liz

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Far from getting a bit mixed up with his Stop Changes and being rescued by his Page Turner, I think you should know that Daniel's electronic sequencer was suddenly and catastrophically affected by a local lightning strike, which reset it to zero. Hence he AND his Page Turner kept the show on the road. Even a fellow Organist of International repute recognised from a distance, during the broadcast, what had happened and, has offered Daniel his congratulations on his performance and on managing to avert disaster after every organist's nightmare. All is not necessarily what it seems... Just thought such should be clarified folks. Bws. Liz

Erm - OK.
We were all impressed by the way he kept going as the page turner was running round him in circles. My version was based upon Daniel's own version of what happened, in which he maintained that he had momentarily imagined he was in a different part of the piece and had therefore used the wrong stops. However, he may not have been aware of the true reason (the one you have just described) at the time. There were thunderstorms in the Yorkshire coast area yesterday, though not in Bridlington until later. But what a team effort to keep it going in that way.

Lizzie, I've tried to find the lightning strike account on the internet, so far without success. Can you help me? I'll do a bit of local digging too.

[DracoM]

Makes Daniel Moult's performance even more amazing whatever was the4 cause. Dupre does not play itself in any way. I do hope he gets the bouquets he deserves.

[Bullock in D]

Re comment 11, the Three Choirs broadcast is live next week. I am looking forward to it.

[Lizzie]

Erm - OK.
We were all impressed by the way he kept going as the page turner was running round him in circles. My version was based upon Daniel's own version of what happened, in which he maintained that he had momentarily imagined he was in a different part of the piece and had therefore used the wrong stops. However, he may not have been aware of the true reason (the one you have just described) at the time. There were thunderstorms in the Yorkshire coast area yesterday, though not in Bridlington until later. But what a team effort to keep it going in that way.

Lizzie, I've tried to find the lightning strike account on the internet, so far without success. Can you help me? I'll do a bit of local digging too.

Daniel is a Facebook friend of mine, as is David Briggs so, explanations from the horses' mouths so to speak! It was an amazing joint effort but Dan's a modest chap and would give the credit elsewhere. DB heard it on his way to the airport and commented on Dan's amazing retrieval. High praise indeed! Bws. Liz

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Daniel is a Facebook friend of mine, as is David Briggs so, explanations from the horses' mouths so to speak! It was an amazing joint effort but Dan's a modest chap and would give the credit elsewhere. DB heard it on his way to the airport and commented on Dan's amazing retrieval. High praise indeed! Bws. Liz

It certainly entered the choir members as the two of them kept things going. What a time for such a thing to happen? Live, solo and on-air.

[gainasbass]

Re comment 11, the Three Choirs broadcast is live next week. I am looking forward to it.

Thanks for that Bullock in D. I'm glad it's live from the 3Cs. Mea Culpa! I had assumed that the Festival was taking place this week instead of next!

[Lucasorg]

...Three Choirs next week...

Thanks for that Bullock in D. I'm glad it's live from the 3Cs. Mea Culpa! I had assumed that the Festival was taking place this week instead of next!

Live indeed! Do come along to the service, but be aware that seats in the Quire will be in very short supply. Doors open at 3.30 when the orchestral rehearsal finishes for Elgar's Caractacus, but I suspect the queue will start quite a while before then.