....No, not that one. The late Dr Mary Berry:
and
I was reminded of her by catching up, bit by bit today, on Sunday's liturgical hours sung by the Tallis Scholars. Very often, plainsong/plainchant is done rather awkwardly by choirs not 'of the tradition'. I thought the Tallis Scholars sounded very much at home with it, even if professional singers inevitably sound different from what you might hear at a Benedictine monastery.
Years ago (can't remember exactly when) a group of us 'hired' Dr Berry to do a day of plainsong with us. It was absolutely fascinating as well as being instructive. Mary knew about other styles of plainsong singing...not just the 'monks of Solesmes' style. One system used in a sect of the Eastern Orthodox tradition...can't remember which....was a sort of long-short triple rhythm. The thing which made the day was finishing off by singing the Victoria Salve Regina; a burst of glorious polyphony after hours of monody! The setting used by yesterday's Vespers.
It was that which reminded me of this.
Having been reared as an Anglican, I was at first never comfortable with plainsong until, as a lay clerk, the Tuesday men's only service always did good old Briggs and Frere psalms. Although I was supposed to be singing tenor, I usually ended up accompanying the psalms, as either the O&C or his assistant took Tuesdays off. I remember Arthur Hutchings saying "There's nothing to it; just score-read a Haydn String Quartet in the background and no-one will notice". Luckily I ignored his attempt at humour, resorting instead to higher authority. Thanks J.H. Arnold!
and
I was reminded of her by catching up, bit by bit today, on Sunday's liturgical hours sung by the Tallis Scholars. Very often, plainsong/plainchant is done rather awkwardly by choirs not 'of the tradition'. I thought the Tallis Scholars sounded very much at home with it, even if professional singers inevitably sound different from what you might hear at a Benedictine monastery.
Years ago (can't remember exactly when) a group of us 'hired' Dr Berry to do a day of plainsong with us. It was absolutely fascinating as well as being instructive. Mary knew about other styles of plainsong singing...not just the 'monks of Solesmes' style. One system used in a sect of the Eastern Orthodox tradition...can't remember which....was a sort of long-short triple rhythm. The thing which made the day was finishing off by singing the Victoria Salve Regina; a burst of glorious polyphony after hours of monody! The setting used by yesterday's Vespers.
It was that which reminded me of this.
Having been reared as an Anglican, I was at first never comfortable with plainsong until, as a lay clerk, the Tuesday men's only service always did good old Briggs and Frere psalms. Although I was supposed to be singing tenor, I usually ended up accompanying the psalms, as either the O&C or his assistant took Tuesdays off. I remember Arthur Hutchings saying "There's nothing to it; just score-read a Haydn String Quartet in the background and no-one will notice". Luckily I ignored his attempt at humour, resorting instead to higher authority. Thanks J.H. Arnold!
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