CE St Martin-in-the-Fields, London Aug 12th 2020 [L]

[Simon Biazeck]

Thanks for this - I enjoyed it very much, some lovely singing, well worth a quarter of an hour of anyone's time.

Re the (yawn-inducingly frequent) BBC Singers debate, I propose to listen to the service and form an opinion based on that - it may be an unusual approach, but it works for me.

You're welcome, and yes, exactly!

SBz

[cat]

I very much enjoy reading people's honest opinions on choral performances, it helps me learn more about the genre having no musical background myself.

It's certainly more informative than reading reviews or tweets simply exclaiming that the choir gave a superb performance or was in fine fettle.

I shall look forward to the broadcast and the comments that follow it.

[jonfan]

The BBC Singers are expected to sound like Tenebrae one day and a backing group for a musical the next. With the right person in front they have the brilliance to adapt to any style most successfully. My favourite concert of recent years was a lunchtime prom under Oramo. Looking forward to Wednesday.

[DracoM]

Reminder: today @ 3.30 p.m.
And it is LIVE.

[cat]

I'll be interested in the anthems which are new to me.

Would have been nice if they could have done Philip Moore's John Scott Service which was commissioned following his death and is rather good, but learning new repertoire probably isn't a priority at the moment.

[chitreb]

As something of a purist I have sympathised in the past with some of the above comments. But I must say that I have absolutely no problems with the sounds I am listening to now. Perhaps the give away is that this is being sung by "Members of the BBC Singers" (presumably well short of the whole ensemble). Very pleasant to my ear. Thank you.

[DracoM]

Interesting to hear bits of repertoire originally meant for boys to sing top line but here in the voices of mature women, not even girls!

[Simon Biazeck]

As something of a purist I have sympathised in the past with some of the above comments. But I must say that I have absolutely no problems with the sounds I am listening to now. Perhaps the give away is that this is being sung by "Members of the BBC Singers" (presumably well short of the whole ensemble). Very pleasant to my ear. Thank you.

No more than 12, I reckon, possibly 10.

Arresting voluntary!

SBz.

[jonfan]

I thought the blend of the top line was beautifully pure. Many lovely moments, especially the John Scott piece which was very sensitively sung and a fitting memory of the composer. The two bonus hymns had luscious descants to enjoy. The main disappointment for me were the psalms, hampered by, in IMO, awful chants and not enough word shaping.
Appropriately strong prayers, with a well aimed reference to Israel.
Terrific final voluntary.
Thank you BBCS.

[oddoneout]

There were some extra elements to this broadcast which, in my opinion, were well done. The explanation of the order of service, and then the brief introductions to the subject matter of each item of music, were straightforward and clear and of benefit I feel to whoever was listening, regardless of level of familiarity, or otherwise, with CE services.
I agree with jonfan about the topline - a real pleasure - and that the psalms were rather less successful - I found the organ rather obtrusive at times which didn't help.

[Vox Humana]

I thought the blend of the top line was beautifully pure. Many lovely moments, especially the John Scott piece which was very sensitively sung and a fitting memory of the composer. The two bonus hymns had luscious descants to enjoy. The main disappointment for me were the psalms, hampered by, in IMO, awful chants and not enough word shaping.

This is more or less my view too. I very much appreciated the 'straight' tone.

I am a firm fan of post-Victorian chants (few of them are truly 'modern'), so long as they are used only occasionally. but the examples we heard were not of the best. Nevertheless, it was really refreshing change to hear some chants other than the usual, time-honoured warhorses that get trotted out time and time again. A bigger problem than the chants was their delivery. The psalmody sounded very leaden and the ensemble was very ragged. Psalmody needs to be in a choir's bones and here it wasn't - but I guess we have to make allowances for the current difficult circumstances.

Psalms apart, I very much enjoyed what I heard. It was a particular pleasure to hear hymn descants that were compelling, well-shaped melodies. This is surely the whole point of a descant, but it is rarely achieved.

[mopsus]

It was a particular pleasure to hear hymn descants that were compelling, well-shaped melodies. This is surely the whole point of a descant, but it is rarely achieved.

I recognised the descant to 'Christ Triumphant' as being a standard one (we have it at church in some Diocesan Festival books). The arrangement of 'O Thou Who Camest' sounded as if it might be by Richard Marlow?

[jonfan]

The arrangement of 'O Thou Who Camest' sounded as if it might be by Richard Marlow?

It certainly was. It’s on a wonderful disc from Trinity of his single descents and double descants. The amazing thing is he uses the original harmony all the time. Have they ever been published? I hope they have.

[jonfan]

A bigger problem than the chants was their delivery. The psalmody sounded very leaden and the ensemble was very ragged. Psalmody needs to be in a choir's bones and here it wasn't.

Yes you’re right. This hadn’t occurred to me before. The BBCS don’t sing in services nowadays at all as far as I know. This wouldn’t have been the case when Barry Rose conducted them in Daily Services from All Souls, Langham Place. Ah, those were the days.

[mopsus]

It certainly was. It’s on a wonderful disc from Trinity of his single descents and double descants. The amazing thing is he uses the original harmony all the time. Have they ever been published? I hope they have.

I have a related publication - his 'Trinity Chant Book' of chants, mostly weaving together snatches of other works by a variety of composers. But all ending up sounding like Richard Marlow, as do his descants, which is how I was able to identify this one.