Doing us proud this week?

[ardcarp]

Notwithsatng the appaalling 'morning call' today about a bloke getting drunk and hearing Tallis's 'Spem', followed by a Radio 2 type trail with short, spliced, overlapping extracts in different keys, Radio 3 is doing us proud this week.

Live 7.30 pm concerts include:

Monday 19th
Temple boys, choir of TCC plus Holst Singers doing Britten's Cereomony of Carols and St Nicholas

Wednesday 21st
Tallis Scholars (their usual stuff)

Friday 23rd
Messiah/Polyohony

All at St John's Smith Square.

(SL will be earning well this week.)

[DracoM]

Just what I was thinking - Stephen Layton Benefit Week. How many different choirs can you conduct in one week on national radio.

[ardcarp]

Agreed, Draco, but at least we are getting some live, seasonal choral concerts. One might have hoped for a little more adventure and variety, but I can't remember another pre-Christmas week with this on offer.

[DracoM]

Yep. Dead right.
Particularly looking forward to the Britten "Ceremony". Temple lads make a very particular sound which should lend colour.

[ardcarp]

...oh dear, how could I have missed out The Christmas Oratorio on Thursday, parts 1,2,3 and 6. TCC and OAE. SL again.

[Chris Watson]

You say "their usual stuff" Ardcarp, but I'd have you know that we are making a special effort this year and doing an almost entirely new program for this concert (it is our annual appearance at SJSS, which always marks the end of our year) and if you tune in you'll hear a rarely performed Palestrina Mass and lots of lovely German pieces by two Praetoriusses and one Eccard!

[ardcarp]

Chris

I didn't mean to be dismissive...sorry. I was just referring to the period of music The TSs sing. I realise Praetorius and Eccard are at the cutting edge!!! I am genuinely delighted that R3 is giving us a live fest this week and that you and others known to us are getting some good gigs.

a. Happy Christmas to you and yours.

[ardcarp]

Yes, and I had to MISS IT because of work commitments. And I'm extremely dis-chuffed that it's not available on i-player.
Damn.

[DracoM]

But I am now baffled.

The BBC website clearly says that boys from the Temple Church were singing in the Monday 19th Dec concert, yet from the announcement at the start, Britten's CoC was sung by the women of Trinity Coll? Was there a boy singing the solo in 'This Yonge Child'?

What actually happened?

Or were the Temple kids ONLY in St Nicholas as the Pickled Boys?

And, gosh, shame about the dead as a wossit acoustic in St JSS!!

[DracoM]

Clarified: Temple boys only in St N.

[Old Grumpy]

You say "their usual stuff" Ardcarp, but I'd have you know that we are making a special effort this year and doing an almost entirely new program for this concert (it is our annual appearance at SJSS, which always marks the end of our year) and if you tune in you'll hear a rarely performed Palestrina Mass and lots of lovely German pieces by two Praetoriusses and one Eccard!

I would second this review ( http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011...ew?INTCMP=SRCH ) regarding the Tallis Scholars' performance in the Sage, Gateshead last Sunday night. If the SJSS gig is as good (slightly different programme from what I can see in RT) it will be a joy.

[David Underdown]

Boys only in St Nick. The one young lad singing the lines of the young St Nick was hoisted onto the stage by Allan Clayton. There were actually four of them singing the pickled boys

None of the semi chorus were separated from the main choir

There were three countertenors in the Trinity choir so Ceremony of Carols wasn't quite all female (and they were almost one lady fewer as one stood on her own skirt while stepping down from the stage in the recessional and stumbled very heavily, but just about managed to stay on her feet)

I'll be there on Thurs too

[Magnificat]

(and they were almost one lady fewer as one stood on her own skirt while stepping down from the stage in the recessional and stumbled very heavily, but just about managed to stay on her feet)

This brought back a memory of our church choir in the 1950's when one of the men ( my friend's grandfather )trod on his cassock when processing solemnly through the chancel and went flying. We boys couldn't stop laughing. The Rector was not amused as I remember!

VCC

[DracoM]

Is the video of the Mozart Requiem currently on the Grauniad website really to be admired?

The sound is terribly dry, boxy and in fact the ensemble isn't all that hot either, and the choir sounds knackered.

Sop soloist not at all bad, ditto bass, but the tenor..........hmm.

[ardcarp]

I would second this review ( http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011...ew?INTCMP=SRCH ) regarding the Tallis Scholars' performance in the Sage, Gateshead last Sunday night. If the SJSS gig is as good (slightly different programme from what I can see in RT) it will be a joy.

I am sure it will be. Please, please, I wasn't dissing the Tallis Scholars in any way!