CE Ely Cathedral Nov 9th 2011

[ardcarp]

The service is being broadcast from neither the Choir, nor the Lady Chapel

There is a quite impressive Lady Chapel at Ely...like a separate building at the side. Very spacuious with a lot of defaced statuary by either Crommwell or the Reformation...not quite sure which.

If the service is to be sung from under the octagon, I think the engineers need to have a few tricks up their sleeves...

[DracoM]

Yes, indeed, I've actually sung under that Octagon and totally agree with you. We found that at times basses tended to rather lose touch with the front line in the tutti.

[MrGongGong]

There is a quite impressive Lady Chapel at Ely...like a separate building at the side. Very spacuious with a lot of defaced statuary by either Crommwell or the Reformation...not quite sure which.

If the service is to be sung from under the octagon, I think the engineers need to have a few tricks up their sleeves...

Cromwell used the lady chapel as a stable and knocked off the heads of many of the statues
I made a sound installation in there once
wonderful space but very very resonant (about 17.5 seconds I seem to remember )

[Finzi4ever]

Cromwell used the lady chapel as a stable and knocked off the heads of many of the statues
I made a sound installation in there once
wonderful space but very very resonant (about 17.5 seconds I seem to remember )

There is ONE head out of the 100s he missed: has anyone on this board found it?

[DracoM]

Reminder: service tx Wednesday @ 3.30 p.m.

[Simon Biazeck]

What a beautiful, clear and relaxed treble sound - go girls! Exemplary!

[Simon Biazeck]

Shades of Vann in E minor in those canticles! Delightful English fare throughout!

[Simon Biazeck]

A brilliant interpretation of They that go down to the sea in ships; one of the jewels in the crown of 20th c. English Church music - text driven and dramatic!

[Simon Biazeck]

... and that hymn has me blubbing! (Sigh!)

[Miles Coverdale]

<Michael Winner voice>

Calm down, dear.

</Michael Winner voice>

[Simon Biazeck]

Yes, I know "it's only Evensong", but it was LOVELY... dear! Breathing easily now!

[DracoM]

Neat and efficient.

[Double Diapason]

Neat and efficient.

I assume this means it didn't "light you up" then Draco? I have yet to listen............

[DracoM]

Not "light up", but I hoped to suggest, it was a very tidy job.

[ardcarp]

I thought it was more than a tidy job; a very good soprano line with men sounding quite straight and supportive. It was very well prepared and directed, IMO. The organ did not overwhelm. I'm no expert on sound engineering, but thought it sounded good, with effective capturing of the Ely acoustic. My disappointment was Sumsion overload. His stuff is competently written, but always very much in the same vein (sort of insipid Vaughan Williams but much less original). In my lay clark days I used to groan when it was Sumsion AGAIN on the music list. I know this CE had a deliberate Sumsion theme, but I would like the choir to have shown its mettle in some more varied and maybe more challenging repertoire. In short, sumsion different. (Sorry). OK shoot me down Sumsion fans......