CE Chapel of Keble College, Oxford [L] Wed, Nov 17th 2021

[DracoM]

CE Chapel of Keble College, Oxford [L] Wed, Nov 17th 2021 @ 4 p.m.


Order of Service:


Introit: He that is down needs fear no fall (Alden)
Responses: Sanders
Psalm 89 (Walmisley, Howells, Surplice)
First Lesson: Zechariah 8: 1-13
Antiphon: Phos hilaron (Stainer)
Canticles: The Wells Service (Malcolm Archer)
Second Lesson: Mark 13:.3-8
Anthem: Feast Song for St Cecilia (Bernard Rose)
Hymn: Jesu, my Lord, my God, my all (Stella)

Voluntary: Psalm-Prelude Set 2 No 1 ‘Out of the deep have I called to you, Lord’ (Howells)

Daniel Greenway (Organ Scholar)
Paul Brough (Director of Music)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0011l7k

[DracoM]

Nudge: today @ 4 p.m.

[jonfan]

I enjoyed this immensely with vibrant, committed singing lead by a steely, fearless soprano line. An energetically sung psalm with a Gloria to make you jump out of your seat! I enjoyed the choice of music for the Responses and Canticles. I’m not sure about the anthem which sounded very difficult without reward for singers or listener. I hadn’t heard the tune Stella since my childhood; given here a serious rendition with colourful effects! Lovely closing Howells.

[mw963]

I too greatly enjoyed this broadcast. Whilst I continue to wish that we had more "run of the mill/non festival type" cathedral broadcasts, I would be the first to say that if all the non-cathedral broadcasts were as enjoyable as this I'd have nothing to complain about. Fabulously non-wobbly top line too, a huge bonus.

And I love having Choral Evensong back at its "appointed time" of 4.00 pm. It's now twice that - thanks to the proper start time - I've been able to sit in an unlit room with the skies darkening outside and enjoy a Howells voluntary, a very atmospheric and moving experience. Although I'm not sure quite what happened on the final chord, it seemed a rather dramatic increase in dynamic.

And that Howells chant is just ravishing.

Thanks everyone at Keble.

[Finzi4ever]

And I love having Choral Evensong back at its "appointed time" of 4.00 pm. It's now twice that - thanks to the proper start time - I've been able to sit in an unlit room with the skies darkening outside and enjoy a Howells voluntary, a very atmospheric and moving experience. Although I'm not sure quite what happened on the final chord, it seemed a rather dramatic increase in dynamic.

And that Howells chant is just ravishing.

Thanks everyone at Keble.

A slip of the stepper or general piston, surely? Poor chap, so easily done, but it didn't detract in any way from the beautifully musical performance of the rest of the Ps. Prelude

[mw963]

No indeed, if my comment came across as unsympathetic that wasn't my intention. The voluntary was beautifully played.

[DracoM]

Pretty theatrical psalm-signing!

[Finzi4ever]

No indeed, if my comment came across as unsympathetic that wasn't my intention. The voluntary was beautifully played.

...it didn't, don't worry.

[ardcarp]

A slip of the stepper or general piston, surely?

Yes, such a shame for him...otherwise beautifully played. Just shows that too many gadgets can be a problem.

[Magister Chori]

I’m not sure about the anthem which sounded very difficult without reward for singers or listener.

Amongst the various pieced dedicated to St Cecilia it's a quite underrated piece, but I think it's a real masterpiece and a top-class example of word-painting (the text itself helps a lot...).
Not actually that difficult to sing: it's written in a quite plain tonal harmonic language, with the four voices - plus two soloists - dividing very sparingly.

Greatly enjoyed the whole CE, shame for the last chord of the voluntary, which was anyway very keenly played.

[Triforium]

Amongst the various pieced dedicated to St Cecilia it's a quite underrated piece, but I think it's a real masterpiece and a top-class example of word-painting (the text itself helps a lot...).
Not actually that difficult to sing: it's written in a quite plain tonal harmonic language, with the four voices - plus two soloists - dividing very sparingly.

Greatly enjoyed the whole CE, shame for the last chord of the voluntary, which was anyway very keenly played.

Very enjoyable CE, and yes, agreed, the Rose is very fine. It may have been the reverberance of the room, or the engineering - the lower parts in the Rose seemed a little unclear. jonfan, give the piece another chance via a youtube or commercial recording. I have found it to be a pleasure to sing and to listen to. In fact, I was so taken by it upon first encounter that I asked myself where it had been all these years, given some of the frequently rehashed 'standard repertoire'.

[ardcarp]

I asked myself where it had been all these years

I asked myself the very same last Wednesday! A very well-conceived piece, I thought. I hope it comes my way sometime.

[Simon Biazeck]

The Bernard Rose anthem is on this recording: https://www.prestomusic.com/classica...0prayer%20rose

I've been a fan of it for many years.

SBz.

[Keraulophone]

I’ve never heard the Bernard Rose anthem anywhere. It definitely needs to get out more.

It seems a shame that a college choir of this quality are restricted to singing Evensong on just one day a week (Wednesdays).

[Magister Chori]

The Bernard Rose anthem is on this recording: https://www.prestomusic.com/classica...0prayer%20rose

I've been a fan of it for many years.

SBz.

It was also the final encore of this fabulous concert (also from St Paul's, but under the tenure of Barry Rose): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPL2ChcC5A0