CE St Michael and All Angels Church, Barnes, London [R]

[cat]

Southwell Minster and Peterborough Cathedral’s choir schools are also state-funded. Tho they’ve chalked up a fair few choral evensong broadcasts between them!

I think there's a big difference between a cathedral choir, the trebles of which attend state school, and a state school choir. For a start, the vast majority of state schools seem unable to organise any sort of choir at all.

[Subtuum]

I think there's a big difference between a cathedral choir, the trebles of which attend state school, and a state school choir. For a start, the vast majority of state schools seem unable to organise any sort of choir at all.

I’m not suggesting they’re similar. Just a reminder that the state funds continue to keep many parts of religious music making alive.

[gurnemanz]

the vast majority of state schools seem unable to organise any sort of choir at all.

This is sad indeed, I taught at a large 11-18 comprehensive in the 80s and there was a very active senior choir run by an enthusiastic head of music (also junior choir). Plenty of girls volunteered but few boys. To get some male ballast in there he went round the staff room signing up male teachers. This is how my choral career started. It continues to this day because some us started a Choral Soc which our medium-sized town at the time did not possess.

[ardcarp]

a bit too much verbiage with unnecessary information

.

That seems to be the trend we're having to live with now on CE. It takes away the 'liturgical' feeling IMHO.

[DracoM]

[cat]

I don't mind unnecessary information but I want to feel like I'm in the congregation. I'd be happy to hear that next week's coffee morning has been moved to the later time of 10:15, or that we should leave by the south door due to the paving works. However when the clergy announce the name and location of the church for example, it feels jarringly incongruous. They wouldn't normally do that to their congregation, and surely any such titbits can be announced to the radio audience beforehand by the continuity announcer.

[ardcarp]

The stuff that annoys me is explaining the meaning of each psalm, anthem, hymn, etc just before it is sung. It wrecks the flow of CE .....IMHO.

[jonfan]

The stuff that annoys me is explaining the meaning of each psalm, anthem, hymn, etc just before it is sung. It wrecks the flow of CE .....IMHO.

Absoloutely. The more explanation, the less personal it becomes to me because I'm told what I should get from the experience before it happens.

[Vox Humana]

The stuff that annoys me is explaining the meaning of each psalm, anthem, hymn, etc just before it is sung. It wrecks the flow of CE .....IMHO.

Yes indeed.

[DracoM]

Rpt today [Sunday].