CE Chapel of Eton College [R] Wed, August 10th 2022

[DracoM]

CE Chapel of Eton College [R]
[recorded 29 July]
Members of the Rodolfus Choral Course

Order of Service:

Introit: Today (Lucy Walker)
Responses: Kerensa Briggs
Office Hymn: Glorious things of thee are spoken (Abbots Leigh)
Psalms 53, 54, 55 (Goss, Lucy Walker, Howells)
First Lesson: Isaiah 55: 8-13
Canticles: King’s College Service (Joanna Forbes L’Estrange)
Second Lesson: 2 Timothy 2: 8-19
Anthem: O sing unto the Lord (Cecilia McDowall)
Hymn: How shall I sing that majesty (Coe Fen)

Voluntary: Star Fantasy (Kristina Arakelyan)

William Fairbairn (Organist)
Anna Lapwood (Conductor)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0019sct

[ardcarp]

So no longer Ralph Allwood.

[DracoM]

My thought exactly

[Simon Biazeck]

So no longer Ralph Allwood.

I wouldn’t be so sure. The website doesn’t confirm that. It may not be up to date, but all the info. for this year’s courses is up to speed. I suspect Anna Lapwood is a guest on this occasion.

[ardcarp]

The Choral Course, whoever runs it, has had some rich pickings for potential choral scholars.

Eton College Chapel has lovely acoustics. The fan-vaulted ceiling helps. It is surely intended to copy KCC and was actually made of concrete in 1959.

https://www.etoncollege.com/college-life/chapel/

[jonfan]

Looking forward to hear how AL makes the course members into a choir. Looking at Twitter it went well.

[jonfan]

Definitely a choir and a terrific sounding one at that with plenty of expressive singing showing both delicacy and power. The distant balance gave an always beautiful sound set in the bloom of the chapel acoustic. There was a wide variety of interestIng repertoire. I particularly enjoyed Lucy Walker’s introit and her psalm chant (the psalms unaccompanied - time stood still). The McDowell anthem was rightly the centrepiece to show off the choir. AL - an energising force in the choral world for inspiring young singers.
Very enjoyable service, thank you.
Was the organ showing a bit of strain at the conclusion of Star Fantasy?!

[DracoM]

Glad there is at least one fan in the Forum!!

[jonfan]

:Glad there is at least one fan in the Forum!!

and to you! We'll have to meet up DracoM to save taking up Forum space. Is everyone on holiday or buried away avoiding the heat? I'm hoping Mr A can comment re the organ.

[haldeman]

Something of a mixed bag imo. The Cecilia McDowell anthem is a fine piece (although it could do with a slightly better ending) which the choir pulled off very convincingly. The canticles seemed entirely forgettable, though, and the psalms were far too shouty in places. Listening on BBC Sounds there was an annoying low ‘hum’ throughout the broadcast!

[Nick Armstrong]

Something of a mixed bag imo. The Cecilia McDowell anthem is a fine piece (although it could do with a slightly better ending) which the choir pulled off very convincingly. The canticles seemed entirely forgettable, though, and the psalms were far too shouty in places. Listening on BBC Sounds there was an annoying low ‘hum’ throughout the broadcast!

Yes I was very underwhelmed generally by the chosen music, though it seemed to me well sung…