CE Salisbury Cathedral [L] Wed, Dec 2nd 2020

[DracoM]

CE Salisbury Cathedral [L]


Order of Service:


Introit: E’en so Lord Jesus (Manz)
Responses: Radcliffe
Office hymn: Creator of the stars of night (Conditor alme)
Psalms 12, 13, 14 (Flintoft, Felton, Hopkins, Walmisley)
First Lesson: Isaiah 28: 1-13
Canticles: Dyson in D
Second Lesson: Matthew 12: 38-50
Anthem: A Hymn to the Virgin (Britten)
Hymn: Jesu, the Father’s only Son (Jesu redemptor omnium)

Voluntary: Symphonie-Passion (Le monde dans l'attente du Sauveur) (Dupré)


John Challenger (Assistant Director of Music and Organist)
David Halls (Director of Music)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000py7z

[ardcarp]

Looking forward to this. The 'programme' looks rather short, eg Hymn to the Virgin, Dyson and E'en so Lord Jesus. Maybe the organ voluntary will fill the gap?

[Magister Chori]

Looking forward to this. The 'programme' looks rather short, eg Hymn to the Virgin, Dyson and E'en so Lord Jesus. Maybe the organ voluntary will fill the gap?

Yes, and the psalms appointed for the day are also quite short.

[Finzi4ever]

Looking forward to this. The 'programme' looks rather short, eg Hymn to the Virgin, Dyson and E'en so Lord Jesus. Maybe the organ voluntary will fill the gap?

The Dupré is relatively substantial (7-8 mins) and wonderfully evocative of the season: an improvisation on the Christmas vespers hymn Christe redemptor omnium. It depicts man’s anxiety and restlessness through a series of dissonant chords in constantly changing meters, with a brief moment of serenity in which the plainchant is stated.

[DracoM]

Reminder: today @ 3.30 p.m.

[DracoM]

Well, have just tried to use the cathedral website to check today's service details, but amazingly, can find NOTHING on THIS service at all - massive amounts of other stuff, but navigating to anywhere that lists choir etc............oh yes, except to tell us that the cathedral s CLOSED.

Erm....??

Am I going crazy? ..................

[mopsus]

I think Salisbury may have had to furlough or lay off a lot of staff - remember they have lost visitors and income not only as a result of COVID-19 but also after the Novichok poisonings. They have made cuts in a number of areas, including not having visiting choirs in 2021 (and cost-cutting rather than logistics was explicitly given as the reason for this).

[jonfan]

The main info about the choir seems to be on their Twitter account; there's a picture of members of the choir all excited at the prospect of the broadcast!
The programme looked short but time was taken with everything, beginning with the introit. A lovely sound throughout and nicely balanced. One of the slowest and most moving performances of the Britten Hymn I can recall.
A wonderful, meditative service, thank you!
Thrilling organ voluntary with quite scary moments! The huge power released was very well caught by the BBC.

[DracoM]

Vol top call for me.

[Magister Chori]

Very enjoyable service: nice and expressive chanting in the psalms, responses and canticles very confidently and effectively sung, closing with a fitting and well played voluntary. Some more words about the Anthem, bacause it was absolutely superb - great tempi and dynamics, particularly in the antiphonal effects of the two choirs: I totally agree with jonfan that this one is amongst the best performances i have ever heard of this piece.
Shame for a quite pale introit: perhaps a more flowing tempo would have helped to achieve a more colourful and legato singing.

[Miles Coverdale]

Well, have just tried to use the cathedral website to check today's service details, but amazingly, can find NOTHING on THIS service at all - massive amounts of other stuff, but navigating to anywhere that lists choir etc............oh yes, except to tell us that the cathedral s CLOSED.

Erm....??

Am I going crazy? ..................

Given that the service took place while lockdown was still in force and the public could not attend, perhaps they took the view that, as far as the public was concerned, it wasn't happening and therefore didn't advertise it.

[DracoM]

I see that, but, given that they regularly stream / webcast their in-house services, a LIVE service on BBC might have just been worth making less tricky to find? Would keep Salisbury's profile more welcoming maybe?

Just a thought.

[ardcarp]

particularly in the antiphonal effects of the two choirs:

It is usually performed with a small semi-chorus some distance away from the 'main' choir.
I'm not quite so effusive about today's CE in general, but hey, who am I to quibble? Great to have live CE back on air.

I was pleasantly surprised at how Salisbury organ managed to sound quite 'French' in the Dupré. If it had been just slightly less well-tuned it would have sounded even more authentic!

[jonfan]

I was pleasantly surprised at how Salisbury organ managed to sound quite 'French' in the Dupré. If it had been just slightly less well-tuned it would have sounded even more authentic!

[DracoM]

!!!