St John's on Record Review

[ardcarp]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00120tt

(6 mins from start)

Today's Record Review had the trebles of SJCC, firstly singing (superbly, I thought) some Hildegard of Bingen* and secondly a piece by Jonathan Harvey**. I thought I'd post this up in view of recent comments about the future direction of the choir; also as I'm sure Draco will be alerting us to Wednesday's fortgcoming broadcast.

New St John's release, The Trree, featuring previous composers associated with the College: https://www.prestomusic.com/classica...2903--the-tree

* I bridle slightly at calling Hidegard's music 'plainsomg'. I notice Wiki refers to it as 'sacred monody' which is much more accurate, if boring. Let's just call it holy tunes?

** Jonathan Harvey may not be everyone's cup of tea. He is mine. My Dad used to play violin sonatas with his Dad, Gerald (piano).

[DracoM]

The Harvey sounded worth pursuing.

Q: Surely that recording wasn't made in J's chapel, was it? Sounded so different.

[Miles Coverdale]

It was, though in 2016.

[ardcarp]

St John's Chapel acoustic is very much affected by the number of people present. It's nothing like King's of course, but has a fair decay-time when empty. It needs a fairly full-bodied choral sound when full...hence the George Guest effect! Also one has to bear in mind what recording engineers can do to the final result, which may account for your doubts, Draco.

[kernelbogey]

As a Johnian alumnus, as we are now called, I feel proud of our choir; I have a sense that since I was up in the mid-60s, its reputation has caught up a great deal on King's. Hard to know, but I think under George Guest, the aspirational void was greater.

As a visitor tiptoing into these Choir stalls, I wonder what choral aficionados think about that.

[ardcarp]

I loved the George Guest sound, but it was a bit 'Marmite' to some. He was also working at a time when Willcocks was making lots of recordings and was famed for his 9 Lessons and Carols. I think (well I know!) some recent prospective choral scholars have made John's their first choice.

PS I regularly sing alongside an ex-John's choral scholar who always speaks very highly of GG.

[kernelbogey]

I loved the George Guest sound, but it was a bit 'Marmite' to some. He was also working at a time when Willcocks was making lots of recordings and was famed for his 9 Lessons and Carols. I think (well I know!) some recent prospective choral scholars have made John's their first choice.

PS I regularly sing alongside an ex-John's choral scholar who always speaks very highly of GG.

Thaks Ardie - I hadn't the least intention of dissing George Guest. I remember being in College when he was rehearsing a Haydn mass for a recording - a wonderful sound. You have perhaps partially anwered why the John's Choir was regarded in those days as much less prestigious than King's [King's's?].

[kernelbogey]

And...

A Service for Advent with Carols, live from the Chapel of St John’s College, Cambridge.

Tomorrow Sunday R3 at 1500.

[DracoM]

For me, GG's reign produced jewels.

[Keraulophone]

.
My yardstick for boy treble voices. If there is anything better than this, I haven't heard it.

[ardcarp]

There is somewhere a recording taken from a live Mass at Westminster Cathedral of George Malcolm playing and directing Britten's Missa Brevis. (I think it was written for them.) It's not 100% accurate, but it's got fantastic spirit. There's also of course the famous Victoria Responsories for Tenebrae. Both as near as you get to 'continental' sound in the UK. But I've strayed off topic, as usual.

[kernelbogey]

There is somewhere a recording taken from a live Mass at Westminster Cathedral of George Malcolm playing and directing Britten's Missa Brevis. (I think it was written for them.) It's not 100% accurate, but it's got fantastic spirit. There's also of course the famous Victoria Responsories for Tenebrae. Both as near as you get to 'continental' sound in the UK. But I've strayed off topic, as usual.

I believe we had that, back along, on an EP.

[ardcarp]

.
My yardstick for boy treble voices. If there is anything better than this, I haven't heard it.

Back on topic again, K. All on CD 8 in the box set of the complete Argo recordings of St John's.

[Keraulophone]

All on CD 8 in the box set of the complete Argo recordings of St John's.

That is an essential 42-disc collection for any choir afficionado, yet I have a particular fondness for the 1964 LP, having bought it with precious pocket money as a youngster after singing A Ceremony of Carols, and long admired Piero della Francesca's seemingly translucent Nativity on the cover. When GG was in Truro as President of the FCM or some such organisation, I thought I'd ask him to sign it. However, he looked so grumpy at the decisive moment that I shied away!
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