CE Westminster Abbey 16.xi.22 [L]

[DracoM]

CE Westminster Abbey 16.xi.22

Order of Service

Introit: Prevent us, O Lord (Byrd)
Responses: Rose
Psalm 37 (Martin, Attwood, Rogers)
First Lesson: Zechariah 8: 1-13
Canticles: Evening Service (Errollyn Wallen)
Second Lesson: Mark 13: 3-8
Anthem: Blest pair of sirens (Parry)
Hymn: Jesus shall reign, where’er the sun (Truro)

Voluntary: Marche sur un thème de Hændel Op 15 No 2 (Guilmant)

Peter Holder (Sub-Organist)
James O’Donnell (Organist and Master of the Choristers)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001dybp

[DracoM]

Reminder: today @ 4 p.m.

[DracoM]

Well, IMHO I shall not be over-industrious in combing the schedules to catch those Canticles.
Parry? Well......OK, yes.....ish.

[Simon Biazeck]

What a pleasure it was to hear this choir on superb form - air in my tyres. The Parry, a nod to the King's taste, I'm sure.

Really, a tour de force!

~SBz

[ardcarp]

Canticles interesting. Always difficult to assess on 1 hearing! But a sparkling start to the Mag effectively expressed Mary's spirit rejoicing. Didn't like the repetition of the word 'word' at the start of the Nunc. Yes, composers often repeat words and phrases of text, but this seemed odd.

Good professional singing all round (Psalm perhaps a bit 'ordinary') but I fell in love with the 'Pair of Nylons' as an 11-year-old chorister and it evokes happy memories each time I hear it. They gave it some wellie.

[Sarumtenor]

I really enjoyed this service - lovely singing all round. I am always very impressed with that way that James O'D manages to achieve an amazing transparency in the inner parts. The introit was a great example of this; often these pieces can sound a bit muddy elsewhere, but not here!

[Simon Biazeck]

I really enjoyed this service - lovely singing all round. I am always very impressed with that way that James O'D manages to achieve an amazing transparency in the inner parts. The introit was a great example of this; often these pieces can sound a bit muddy elsewhere, but not here!

Absolutely! And, having listened again, making the canticles sound as if they are already embedded in the repertoire. They would surely(?) have had one outing, but... so sure-footed. I loved the psalms too - direct sound, clear, expressive text and flexibility.

[Sarumtenor]

Absolutely! And, having listened again, making the canticles sound as if they are already embedded in the repertoire. They would surely(?) have had one outing, but... so sure-footed. I loved the psalms too - direct sound, clear, expressive text and flexibility.

Agreed on all counts!