CE Worcester Cathedral [A] Wed, 14th April 2021

[DracoM]

CE Worcester Cathedral [A]
First broadcast 22 April 2009

Order of Service:


Introit: Surgens Jesus (Philips)
Responses: Rose
Psalms: 108, 109 (How, Lucas, Lang)
First Lesson: Hosea 5 v.15 - 6 v.6
Canticles: Stanford in B flat
Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 15: 1-11
Anthem: Singet dem Herrn (Bach)

Voluntary: Carillon-Sortie (Mulet)

Christopher Allsop (Assistant Organist)
Adrian Lucas (Master of the Choristers)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000v2zc

[DracoM]

bump

[DracoM]

Reminder: today @ 3.30 p.m.

[ardcarp]

Quite an achievement for a cathedral choir to sustain a 'double choir' Bach Motet. I really enjoyed their 'Singet'. I think I heard it first time around.

[Keraulophone]

Putting Singet on the music list for Evensong, knowing it is going to be broadcast in the BBC slot, IMO goes some way towards turning the service into a concert, if not a calling-card for the DoM. There was a time when the programme offered the listener the opportunity of ‘dropping in’ on a typical weekday Evensong. (Obviously, this is not a criticism of the performance, and it is of course a superlative work and great fun to sing.)

[Keraulophone]

We also heard Adrian Lucas’s very effective transcription for organ of Stanford’s orchestral accompaniment for the B flat canticles. It is much more active than the original organ part, including flutey figurations and a splendid descant reiteration of the opening figuration on the solo organ tuba. The Gloria to the Nunc, contrary to previous normal practice, ends loudly.

[ardcarp]

We also heard Adrian Lucas’s very effective transcription for organ of Stanford’s orchestral accompaniment for the B flat canticles.

I'm glad somebody else noticed! I thought to myself, 'I never played all those twiddly bits when accompanying S. in B flat'. But then it occurred to me it was based on S's own orchestration.

On a slightly different subject, does anyone remember those congregational parts for canticles written (by C.S. Lang?) so that an entire public school could join in? (And yes they were intended for a chapel-load of privileged adolescents with the collective timbre of Cardiff Arms Park.) There was a very effective one for VW's Te Deum in G too. I can remember using virtually full organ (Harrison Trombas included) so that the organ part was not overwhelmed by the school. Subtle it may not have been, but strangely moving in its way.

Probably days past...but if anyone knows of them still being used, I'd be interested to hear.

BTW, I disagree slightly with you K ..and it pains me to do so...about using Singet as an anthem. Maybe it's not daily evensong fare, but let's face it doing a broadcast is a bit special for a choir. While it is good sometimes to 'eavesdrop on a wet Thursday afternoon', I see no reason why things such as Singet shouldn't crop up occasionally on a music list.

[Keraulophone]

I can remember using virtually full organ (Harrison Trombas included) so that the organ part was not overwhelmed by the school.

Cheltenham College, by any chance?
.

[ardcarp]

Nope. Repton. Many years ago. Big old 3-manual Harrison.

[Finzi4ever]

Nope. Repton. Many years ago. Big old 3-manual Harrison.

I know, or rather knew it well...

[Lucasorg]

Worcester in 2009

I'm glad somebody else noticed! I thought to myself, 'I never played all those twiddly bits when accompanying S. in B flat'. But then it occurred to me it was based on S's own orchestration.

BTW, I disagree slightly with you K ..and it pains me to do so...about using Singet as an anthem. Maybe it's not daily evensong fare, but let's face it doing a broadcast is a bit special for a choir. While it is good sometimes to 'eavesdrop on a wet Thursday afternoon', I see no reason why things such as Singet shouldn't crop up occasionally on a music list.

Actually we were offered this broadcast slot just after Easter and we'd just come back from a 2 week tour in the USA Pacific NW. "Singet" was on our programme for the tour and one of my conditions for accepting a date hard on the start of term was that we could sing this...ironically a piece which would need little rehearsal!

The complicated schedule of a cathedral choir sometimes needs rather more care in programming than meets the eye of the casual R3 listener! Particularly in the summer term when we at Worcester we were juggling all the Three Choirs repertoire and rehearsal, things can get very complicated.

Glad you liked the Stanford transcription which became a firm favourite with the choir as it adds to much to the somewhat anodine version printed in the Novello copies with which we've all grown up.

Adrian

[Philip]

Glad you liked the Stanford transcription which became a firm favourite with the choir as it adds to much to the somewhat anodine version printed in the Novello copies with which we've all grown up.

Adrian, is it possible to get hold of a copy of this transcription, please? I've heard it played and mentioned many times.

[oddoneout]

I too would disagree about the inclusion of "Singet" tending to the concert rather than CE. The words were appropriate and the singing such a joy, how could it be other than worship in that setting?

[Keraulophone]

Actually we were offered this broadcast slot just after Easter and we'd just come back from a 2 week tour in the USA Pacific NW. "Singet" was on our programme for the tour and one of my conditions for accepting a date hard on the start of term was that we could sing this...ironically a piece which would need little rehearsal!

Glad you liked the Stanford transcription...

Singet completely vindicated! Thank you, Adrian, for explaining the circumstances. Lobet is the only JSB motet we’ve done in a service at Truro, though (to be transparent) one crazy Sunday morning we sang the Mass to Bach in B minor with orchestra . We love using the Stanford transcription, and I always look forward to the tuba descant bringing a triumphant end to the Mag Gloria.

[Lucasorg]

Adrian, is it possible to get hold of a copy of this transcription, please? I've heard it played and mentioned many times.

Of course - can you email me via my website? www.adrianlucas.org