Exeter tries to keep going!

[ardcarp]

Exeter Cathedral streamed a live Ash Wednesday service at 5.30 today on its Facebook page. It wasn't Evensong (and included a sermon) but they did the Allegri very well. Only 10 singers in total drawn from a few lay clerks plus some extra adult sops (of which Ms Ardcarp Jnr was one). I think it may still be available to Facebooksters. The technical side was a bit amateurish...only two camera angles, one for the clergy and another for the choir, the latter hiding half of them! The sound was OK for the singing but nearly blew your head off for the spoken word. I was surprised how well the Allegri worked with approx equal numbers in the Ripieno choir and the Favoriti, plus a vg solo voice for the Tonus Peregrinus plainsong. The service turned into the latter half of a Mass, with a good setting (by whom?*) of the Sanctus and Agnus with organ. And it all ended with O Mensch Bewein.

But full marks to Exeter for keeping live services going, albeit without the choristers.

*It was by Tinothy Parsons the assistant organist.
Very confusing having two Tims at the helm!

[DracoM]

Yes, I DID like Exeter's chamber intimacy and no fuss too.

[mw963]

I do wish that the "go-to" choice for this sort of thing wasn't nearly always the wretched medium of Facebook. Many of us - for good reason - refuse to have anything to do with it. Shame that it isn't carried on Youtube as well.

[ardcarp]

I do wish that the "go-to" choice for this sort of thing wasn't nearly always the wretched medium of Facebook. Many of us - for good reason - refuse to have anything to do with it. Shame that it isn't carried on Youtube as well.

AGREED !!! (I had to employ g-kid to do it for me.)

BTW, wasn't there something on the news today about Australia banning Facebook? (I may have got this wrong.)

[Miles Coverdale]

I do wish that the "go-to" choice for this sort of thing wasn't nearly always the wretched medium of Facebook. Many of us - for good reason - refuse to have anything to do with it. Shame that it isn't carried on Youtube as well.

One reason that people might avoid YouTube is that the moment content has been uploaded there, copyright is transferred to YouTube. The situation may be the same with Facebook, I don't know.

[Miles Coverdale]

BTW, wasn't there something on the news today about Australia banning Facebook? (I may have got this wrong.)

Not quite. Facebook has blocked some news content from appearing on the feeds of Australian users in protest at a proposed law that social media companies should pay for the news feeds they use (a novel idea). If in doubt, follow the money.

[mw963]

One reason that people might avoid YouTube is that the moment content has been uploaded there, copyright is transferred to YouTube. The situation may be the same with Facebook, I don't know.

Ah - I didn't realise that. Thanks.

[ardcarp]

Thanks for that from me too; but places like Trinity College Cambridge, who under Sid Layton's pencil do a lot of commercial recording, don't seem to mind posting stuff on YouTube.

[Miles Coverdale]

Thanks for that from me too; but places like Trinity College Cambridge, who under Sid Layton's pencil do a lot of commercial recording, don't seem to mind posting stuff on YouTube.

True, but perhaps those places with less 'reach' may be more wary.

[oddoneout]

Not quite. Facebook has blocked some news content from appearing on the feeds of Australian users in protest at a proposed law that social media companies should pay for the news feeds they use (a novel idea). If in doubt, follow the money.

But it went a bit awry - unintended(one hopes) consequences https://www.theguardian.com/technolo...ralia-news-ban

[jonfan]

Thanks for that from me too; but places like Trinity College Cambridge, who under Sid Layton's pencil do a lot of commercial recording, don't seem to mind posting stuff on YouTube.

Their record label Hyperion encourage it so it must make commercial sense. A video from recording sessions of their latest CD has just appeared on YouTube coincidently and I’m sure Hyperion retain full rights in the recording.

[Miles Coverdale]

Their record label Hyperion encourage it so it must make commercial sense. A video from recording sessions of their latest CD has just appeared on YouTube coincidently and I’m sure Hyperion retain full rights in the recording.

Hyperion will no doubt own the copyright of their CD recording, but the copyright in the video is a separate matter.

The loss of copyright is the price you pay for getting free advertising on a platform with a zillion users.

[Vox Humana]

Their record label Hyperion encourage it so it must make commercial sense.

I'm not so sure about that. Hyperion are very happy to use YouTube for advertising (and why wouldn't they be?) but I don't think you'll find any complete tracks from their recordings there. At least I've never found any of their CDs on YouTube and any of their tracks that others upload get removed very promptly. I get the impression that Hyperion avoid YouTube like the plague for anything more than taster videos. Similarly they don't have any truck with the Naxos Music Library.

[jonfan]

I'm not so sure about that. Hyperion are very happy to use YouTube for advertising (and why wouldn't they be?) but I don't think you'll find any complete tracks from their recordings there. At least I've never found any of their CDs on YouTube and any of their tracks that others upload get removed very promptly. I get the impression that Hyperion avoid YouTube like the plague for anything more than taster videos. Similarly they don't have any truck with the Naxos Music Library.

Yes you are right I’m sure. I too was thinking the use of YouTube for promotional reasons makes commercial sense.

[Quilisma]

See also here, if you will. https://youtu.be/P8LDADoH3QY In Ely, unlike some other places, we were unfortunately compelled to suspend choral services after the New Year: because schools have been closed for most pupils, the choristers (who have previously been able to operate relatively freely within their own boarding bubbles) have been at home with their families, continuing their schooling and chorister activities remotely, and since Christmas a number of the adults have had periods of self-isolation. Meanwhile, Sunday services (all of them streamed online "behind closed doors") have been covered by the Director of Music and Assistant Director of Music between them, and there have been a few funerals and a wedding, all with solo cantor only. But because Ash Wednesday is a major occasion it was decided that worshippers should be allowed to attend in person and that there should be singing; the current legal maximum on occasions when a congregation is present is three singers, so the three Decani lay clerks did it. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to sing with my esteemed colleagues again for the first time since Christmas Day, and singing as part of a "consort" trio is always satisfying (especially when it's Byrd Mass for Three Voices, some Tomkins and some plainsong), although I would have been much happier if my voice had not been so rusty through lack of use! The good news is that choral services are being phased back in, gradually, from this Sunday. They will be "behind closed doors" (but all streamed, of course), which means that the limit of three does not apply and that all six lay clerks can be involved, but in line with the spirit of lockdown there will be only two choral services per week in the first instance. (We don't yet have confirmation of when the choristers will be able to resume, or in what configuration, and it may be some while before we can have choristers and lay clerks singing at the same time. Idle speculation about these things tends to be counterproductive, but at least we know the intention is still for us all to return in due course.)