Owain Park on Record Review

[ardcarp]

Some of his Shakespeare Songs of the Night were played today...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000lgsw

...about 1hr 31 mins from start.

Singers: Milly Taylor, Pippa Wright, Jenny McPherson, Milo Comerford. The Epiphoni Consort. Director: Tim Reader.

Very much of the Whitacre/Lauridesen tendency. Very well sung I thought.

[Finzi4ever]

Bit disappointed if it's in that now rather hackneyed style, but will have a listen anyway, so thanks for the heads up

[ardcarp]

I wonder what a future generation will think of this 'lovely-sounds-very-tonally-based-almost-no-rhythm' style?

[Vox Humana]

I wonder what a future generation will think of this 'lovely-sounds-very-tonally-based-almost-no-rhythm' style?

A very good question, Ardcarp! Without any reference at all to Mr Park (because I haven't listened to the programme yet) I would expect the style you describe to be remembered only by a very small number of representative pieces, no doubt including Whitacre's Lux aurumque and Lauridsen's O magnum mysterium and O nata lux, which have become standard repertoire. What other works join them would presumably be dictated by what incremental musical experiences they add. I suspect that purely copycat works will just be quietly forgotten - rather like all that generic, Victorian parish church stuff.

[Nick Armstrong]

quietly forgotten - rather like all that generic, Victorian parish church stuff.

That strikes me as a very apt comparison