CE Chapel of Clare College, Cambridge [L] Wed, 25th Nov 2020

[subcontrabass]

I liked the male voice opening to Weir's Nunc Dimittis. Classical organ (von Beckerath?) like many Oxbridge College organs is just not intended for Anglican accompaniment. As for the Bach B minor, very accurately played, but somehow over-articulated for that dry acoustic. No doubt it would have sounded wonderful in a German hallenkirke.

Organ by von Beckerath with a couple of stops added later. See: https://www.npor.org.uk/NPORView.html?RI=N05197

I woud describe the performance of the Bach as not so much over-articulated as very mannered: in groups of four demisemiquavers there was a dictinct pause on the first of each group.

[jonfan]

One thing that was hammered into us when we had fire training during my time at work was never, ever assume the fire alarm is false. I would therefore have expected the service to have been immediately terminated and everyone evacuated.

Yes exactly. I wondered about that.

[oddoneout]

Yes exactly. I wondered about that.

Perhaps the alarm company was in and that was an accident?

[mopsus]

The Weir canticles are a useful addition to the repertoire of unaccompanied settings, for example for use on Fridays in some places. James MacMillan has addressed this shortage recently too. Otherwise it's Gibbons 'Short' and its contemporaries, Naylor in A, Stanford in F (one of his weaker settings) and .... I struggle to think of others that are much sung.