CE: Ely Cathedral Wed 6.i.21 [R]

[Quilisma]

In brief: there is a new post on the Cathedral Facebook page with more photos! https://www.facebook.com/ElyCathedra...21898707867481

[DracoM]

Thx.

[cat]

I haven't been able to hear this yet but I am looking forward to catching up with it.

Solo-cantoring an entire service on their own is a new venture for our choristers

On a similar note I notice your DoM has sung an entire service himself alone on more than once occasion - that must be a national first, at least since Cromwell and probably ever?

The efforts and dedication of those involved in cathedral and collegiate music in many places across the country in keeping things going against the odds, and their success in doing so, is certainly appreciated.

[jonfan]

The efforts and dedication of those involved in cathedral and collegiate music in many places across the country in keeping things going against the odds, and their success in doing so, is certainly appreciated.

[Magister Chori]

Another thorougly enjoyable CE, sung with plenty of feelings and expression: the introit was really superb! Plus it's always good to have a proper 'office' hymn.
Also a particular mention for the sensitive organ playing of Glen Dempsey, both in accompanying the choir and in playing the voluntary.

[Constantbee]

Thanks for all that Q. Always good to get 'an inside story'. I trust the choristers were kept in ignorance about how Bethlehem Down came to be written...both words and music! Looking forward to CE on Weds, but it'll be on catch-up for us as we're away for the day....possible future lockdowns permitted.

"Warlock wrote it (Bethlehem Down) to finance an "immortal carouse" (a heavy bout of drinking) on Christmas Eve 1927 for himself and Blunt, who were experiencing financial difficulty. The pair submitted the carol to The Daily Telegraph's annual Christmas carol contest and won."

I didn’t know that. Well, how would one. Quick bit of research has revealed some background on Bruce Blunt, wine merchant, bon viveur, poet and author of the lyrics to Bethlehem Down. Also, a delightful pen and ink sketch of Warlock, Blunt and Augustus John, although I don’t know what the connection is with the latter. The sketch is taken from the National Portrait Gallery Archive, London.

https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw91140/Antelope-Tavern-1929-Bruce-Blunt-Augustus-John-Philip-Arnold-Heseltine-Peter-Warlock?LinkID=mp72875&role=sit&rNo=0

[Constantbee]

The efforts and dedication of those involved in cathedral and collegiate music in many places across the country in keeping things going against the odds, and their success in doing so, is certainly appreciated.

Decided to renew my subscription to the Friends of Cathedral Music after some deliberation. Hope it helps in some small way. The magazine's a good read, and if you know nothing about the subject it's as good a place to start as any.

[DracoM]

Rpt today @ 3 p.m.

[Finzi4ever]

"Warlock wrote it (Bethlehem Down) to finance an "immortal carouse" (a heavy bout of drinking) on Christmas Eve 1927 for himself and Blunt, who were experiencing financial difficulty. The pair submitted the carol to The Daily Telegraph's annual Christmas carol contest and won."

I didn’t know that. Well, how would one. Quick bit of research has revealed some background on Bruce Blunt, wine merchant, bon viveur, poet and author of the lyrics to Bethlehem Down. Also, a delightful pen and ink sketch of Warlock, Blunt and Augustus John, although I don’t know what the connection is with the latter. The sketch is taken from the National Portrait Gallery Archive, London.

https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/s...role=sit&rNo=0

That's a fabulous sketch. Thank you

[Nick Armstrong]

Another thorougly enjoyable CE, sung with plenty of feelings and expression: the introit was really superb! Plus it's always good to have a proper 'office' hymn.
Also a particular mention for the sensitive organ playing of Glen Dempsey, both in accompanying the choir and in playing the voluntary.

Oh dear, I found the chosen tempo unfortunate. I didn’t enjoy the funereal plod.

In general, well, good on them for getting a service together in difficult times and all that, but let’s just say I was looking forward to the organ voluntary with unusual enthusiasm...

[ardcarp]

Oh dear, I found the chosen tempo [for Bethlehem Down] unfortunate. I didn’t enjoy the funereal plod.

The words include:

When He is King they will clothe Him in grave-sheets,
Myrrh for embalming, and wood for a crown

I don't have a copy in front of me at this moment, but I seem to remember a slow tempo marking.* (The same goes for Britten's Hymn to the Virgin.) I must say I prefer both pieces to move on a bit!

*PS Just found a copy of Bethlehem Down which says: Very Slow. Crotchet = 60

[Nick Armstrong]

The words include:

When He is King they will clothe Him in grave-sheets,
Myrrh for embalming, and wood for a crown

I don't have a copy in front of me at this moment, but I seem to remember a slow tempo marking.* (The same goes for Britten's Hymn to the Virgin.) I must say I prefer both pieces to move on a bit!

*PS Just found a copy which says: Very Slow crotchet = 60

Fair points, well made!

[Quilisma]

Well, the "funereal" pace of Bethlehem Down would indeed be completely inappropriate for the familiar SATB version of 1927, but the more busy and tortuous post-tonal harmonic language of the 1930 song version requires this much more leisurely, perhaps even lugubrious tempo. If the circumstances behind the the 1927 version might raise a wry smile, insofar as the motive was supposedly to raise money to pay off colossal debts to the local hostelry and to fund a major bout of boozing, the circumstances in late 1930 were very much more bleak: Philip Heseltine was in a very bad way indeed, sinking further and further into depression and despair and withdrawing into his own private world, and his possible suicide followed just weeks later. The manuscript specifies that the accompaniment was supposed to be played on the organ, but it was clearly composed at the piano and at various points Heseltine seems to have forgotten the difference: it is just about possible to play it on the organ, but it requires a lot of careful and ingenious prior planning and an unusual degree of acrobatic dexterity (such as playing on two manuals simultaneously with the same hand). The Affekt therefore presents itself ready-formed. Yes, it's surprisingly slow. So be it. There is much to be surprised at in the superficially familiar.

If I may, I would suggest that this broadcast benefits greatly from being listened to through headphones via BBC Sounds. The use of localised microphones is understandable but, particularly with compression, it gives a rather skewed impression of the overall sound, and particularly of the ambience and acoustic of the space, and at points the balance between different parts of the ensemble seemed to be hindered rather than assisted by the mix, at least when listened to via Freeview with television speakers. After all, as a choir which is at home in a colossal building, the way in which we sing and play is tailored to the needs of those rather further away, and in close-up the impression can be somewhat more aggressive and vehement than it really is when heard as a unified whole. For our livestreams we typically use just one pair of ambient high-quality stereo microphones, if possible positioned at the far (Nave) side of the Octagon, beyond the Altar platform, and this gives a remarkably faithful and naturalistic reproduction of how the choir really sounds (provided that the streaming itself is working properly and at a high enough definition). But I understand why this doesn't meet the requirements of a radio broadcast in which compression will tend to be applied, so a blend with close microphones dominant makes sense. (And with the benefit of those photographs you can even see for yourselves how the microphones were arranged!) It does sound significantly better through headphones, though, and perhaps the tempi might make a bit more sense too: no inappropriate languor was intended, we promise!

As for the circumstances, well, this was recorded on 10th November, during the second lockdown, and we were almost miraculously fortunate with what we were able to keep on doing, until Christmas. We are now back with remote provision for the choristers and no return to school probably until Half Term at the very earliest, and we Lay Clerks have been furloughed again for the time being. Until today the plan was that there would be spoken services from Monday and Saturday which members of the public would be allowed to attend, while the two Sunday services would be with music but behind closed doors and livestreamed, just as during the second lockdown in November. But following the example of certain other establishments it has now been decided that the spoken services during the week should also be closed to the public. We are very lucky indeed that Messrs Aldhouse and Dempsey are both very decent singers as well as outstanding organists, so I think the plan is that they will cover all Sunday services between the two of them for as long as the rest of us are not permitted to be involved.

Incidentally, on the subject of services sung by a solo cantor, I'm not sure whether it really is the case than EGBA is the first serving Cathedral Director of Music for several centuries to have taken on this duty; I rather doubt it! But both he and GAD have indeed done it numerous times since the resumption of services in July, and four of us six Lay Clerks have also done it at least once; I have done four, namely one Sunday morning Eucharist in August, two of the seven back-to-back Ordinations of Deacons, and the Sunday morning Eucharist two days after Christmas (which was arguably not my finest hour from a vocal perspective!)...

[Magister Chori]

Oh dear, I found the chosen tempo unfortunate. I didn’t enjoy the funereal plod.

In general, well, good on them for getting a service together in difficult times and all that, but let’s just say I was looking forward to the organ voluntary with unusual enthusiasm...

Take a look at the score (here is the manuscript: https://juilliardmanuscriptcollectio...BEDO&zoomFile=) and you'll perhaps agree that for this solo voice version a slower tempo than the one usually taken in the more common SATB version is quite justified by such a busy organ accompaniment.

[Nick Armstrong]

Take a look at the score (here is the manuscript: https://juilliardmanuscriptcollectio...BEDO&zoomFile=) and you'll perhaps agree that for this solo voice version a slower tempo than the one usually taken in the more common SATB version is quite justified by such a busy organ accompaniment.

Very true. I guess it’s the SATB version for me then!