CE St Martin-in-the-Fields, London [L] 29.vii.2020

[Simon Biazeck]

How much incentive / hope / opportunity does it give other ensembles outside the capital?
Is this where music / Arts etc are going? ie. even more metrocentric than before?
Even with rpts from earlier years. it reminds us all of the sheer breadth of / traditions of the singing world in UK religious or otherwise.

My view is that the BBC should maintain a sense of responsibility it has to the WHOLE nation.

Sorry, but I am very disappointed by this upcoming CE sequence.

Concerns noted, but I think in this extraordinary situation and on balance, this should be welcomed; a swift and positive response. I really see no reason to believe that this is where things are going in general. We don't know that ensembles in other cities - Ex Cathedra, the Dunedin Consort, the fine (pro-am?) octet at the Birmingham Oratory have not or will not be approached. I have no doubt that when government guidance on choral music in churches allows for larger ensembles with congregations, and regional cathedral choirs get back on their feet, they will be included. Why wouldn't they?

That said, there IS bias at the BBC which in recent years has excluded some well-known, established and excellent church choirs in London in favour of traditional cathedral-style setups both metropolitan and regional, but THAT may please some...

SBz

[underthecountertenor]

How much incentive / hope / opportunity does it give other ensembles outside the capital?
Is this where music / Arts etc are going? ie. even more metrocentric than before?
Even with rpts from earlier years. it reminds us all of the sheer breadth of / traditions of the singing world in UK religious or otherwise.

My view is that the BBC should maintain a sense of responsibility it has to the WHOLE nation.

Sorry, but I am very disappointed by this upcoming CE sequence.

Do you not accept that the considerations referred to by mw963 might be valid? Or is your view that until the BBC can start broadcasting live CEs throughout the nation it shouldn’t do anything at all?

[DracoM]

BBC has a mighty archive of ensembles from all over UK, then why not use them?
Signal for such a sequence in one place whatever the 'voices', feels like 'metro matters........and you? Well, you're a bit unlucky to be......well, .....out there'.

In London: St Paul's, Drome, Temple, London Oratory etc - ALL in archive - that is if they want a variety of London based CE / Vespers.

'Live' frankly does not matter, does it? If you listened without knowing, could anyone tell the difference between a live and archived CE?

[underthecountertenor]

Concerns noted, but I think in this extraordinary situation and on balance, this should be welcomed; a swift and positive response. I really see no reason to believe that this is where things are going in general. We don't know that ensembles in other cities - Ex Cathedra, the Dunedin Consort, the fine (pro-am?) octet at the Birmingham Oratory have not or will not be approached. I have no doubt that when government guidance on choral music in churches allows for larger ensembles with congregations, and regional cathedral choirs get back on their feet, they will be included. Why wouldn't they?

That said, there IS bias at the BBC which in recent years has excluded some well-known, established and excellent church choirs in London in favour of traditional cathedral-style setups both metropolitan and regional, but THAT may please some...

SBz

[underthecountertenor]

BBC has a mighty archive of ensembles from all over UK, then why not use them?
Signal for such a sequence in one place whatever the 'voices', feels like 'metro matters........and you? Well, you're a bit unlucky to be......well, .....out there'.

In London: St Paul's, Drome, Temple, London Oratory etc - ALL in archive - that is if they want a variety of London based CE / Vespers.

'Live' frankly does not matter, does it? If you listened without knowing, could anyone tell the difference between a live and archived CE?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it the case that a great deal of energy has been expended on this forum bemoaning the reduction in frequency of live broadcasts of CE?

[Ein Heldenleben]

I found the Service very moving and very well sung. Given the constraints on live musical performance and the complexities of live music broadcasting all involved are to be congratulated. It is currently a very fluid situation with, for example , just this week a Government backed insurance scheme unlocking some of the problems of TV location drama filming. Apart from the very considerable worries over exposing staff to risk no responsible employer wants to risk either prosecution by the HSE or private prosecution for negligence.

[DracoM]

I give up.

I thought diversity of region was enabling, irrespective of whether it is live or not.
Of course I want live, and of course I understand the logistics. Of course, times - they are a-changing. Just the BBC policy eludes me.

Clearly a view not shared on this forum.

Will keep my [northern / not metro / provincial] views to myself in future.

[Wolsey]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it the case that a great deal of energy has been expended on this forum bemoaning the reduction in frequency of live broadcasts of CE?

This.

[DracoM]

Yes, of COURSE!!
Not sure how that changes the 'debate'?

[mw963]

Look, I'm no fan of the BBC, and I'm generally no fan of the "London Choir Sound", but even I am able to bring myself to say that yesterday's broadcast was a real breath of fresh air, and I'm grateful (he said through gritted teeth!) to the BBC for managing to do *something" other than play out an often rather indifferent repeat from the relatively recent past.

Incidentally, I'd have been a lot more enthusiastic for the recent archive season if they'd gone back to some of the legendary choir masters (*) of the seventies and eighties, rather than playing stuff from the last fifteen years, most of which most of us had already heard.

Yes I hope things get back to normal, but to be honest the fact there have in the last few years been so few "ordinary" evensong cathedral broadcasts anyway means that the wrench I initially felt when the cathedral/other venue balance changed in favour of the latter has largely dissipated, the proof being that I no longer religiously remember to tune in at 3.30 on a Wednesday.

(*) not intended to be sexist, but I think they pretty much all were blokes back then....

[oddoneout]

I give up.

I thought diversity of region was enabling, irrespective of whether it is live or not.
Of course I want live, and of course I understand the logistics. Of course, times - they are a-changing. Just the BBC policy eludes me.

Clearly a view not shared on this forum.

Will keep my [northern / not metro / provincial] views to myself in future.

I understand what you are getting at but another way of looking at it perhaps is that they have to start somewhere, and perhaps the necessary recording, venue and singing groups were all available in London relatively quickly. At this stage I don't know that one can assume it will not be tried elsewhere if it proves successful. Have other locations pitched to do something similar, might they do so seeing this now? I'm assuming that one of the aims is to avoid moving people about the country more than is necessary, hence using somewhere that can provide all the resources reasonably locally? Doing a 'batch' of recordings in one place cuts down on the amount of work and admin involved in sorting out venue specific safe working, cleaning protocols, H&S clearance etc
As with the Wigmore series, at this stage, I would prefer to welcome the initiative and suggest consideration be given to a similar exercise elsewhere in the country, rather than be overly negative because it is London rather than the regions.

[DracoM]

Yes, yes, yes,...............agree with every word.
But I just feel rising in me a 'but' and a sigh.'

[choralmike]

Given the background to this broadcast, and for those of us who miss the camaraderie and general social, cognitive and psychological benefits of live choral singing, this was very moving. This represents a start, and I hope that future broadcasts of this CE will always include the background to it.

[underthecountertenor]

Given the background to this broadcast, and for those of us who miss the camaraderie and general social, cognitive and psychological benefits of live choral singing, this was very moving. This represents a start, and I hope that future broadcasts of this CE will always include the background to it.

In Excelsis all of this.

[Finzi4ever]

Given the background to this broadcast, and for those of us who miss the camaraderie and general social, cognitive and psychological benefits of live choral singing, this was very moving. This represents a start, and I hope that future broadcasts of this CE will always include the background to it.

I'm very appreciative that we can have several live CEs back in a row and the fact that this one was of such a high standard was glorious; and what better way to end than with the unlisted (and hence a delightful surprise) Finzi Amen from 'Lo, the full' - perhaps all CEs should end that way (only joking, but it does it for me every time), or alternate with the Amen from the Finzi Magnificat The growly Walker really came into its own in the Howells C# minor, but why didn't they add any solo reed in the 90s build, or even kept the old one - no shortage of cash there then. The Balfour Gardner really demands it in the final climax of EH: we're all waiting for it, admit it, and feel just a little cheated without it.