CE Gloucester Cathedral Sunday, April 8th

[DracoM]

CE Gloucester Cathedral




Order of Service:



Introit: My beloved spake (Hadley)
Responses: Sanders
Psalm: 66: 1-11 (Howells)
First Lesson: Ezekiel 37: 1-14
Canticles: Gloucester Service (Neil Cox)
Second Lesson: Luke 24: 13-35
Anthem: In exitu Israel (Samuel Wesley)
Final Hymn: Ye choirs of new Jerusalem (St Fulbert)



Organ Voluntary: Final from Symphonie No.6 Op.42 (Widor)




Ashley Grote (Assistant Director of Music)
Adrian Partington (Director of Music)

[ardcarp]

Lovely choice of music.

[Y Mab Afradlon]

It'll be interesting to find out how our members view this set of Canticles. I heard them live on a visit in June and think that they are a good addition to the repertoire at Gloucester. Nice to see In exitu Israel having an airing. Last broadcast by St Paul's in 1983 methinks.

[pole_2_pole]

FYI, Ashley Grote is off to be DoM at Norwich soon...

[DracoM]

Reminder: today @ 4.00 p.m.

[DracoM]

All a bit distant on the whole, but a pleasant mix. Hadley a good start, Cox canticles were straightforward enough, hardly exacting or as inventive as one of the big Howells sets, but at the end of a tough week for the choir in Holy Week in any cathedral, nicely comfortable. Nunc a lot more interesting than the Mag IMO.

And the Wesley: it's a hefty sing - all those semi-quaver runs and fugal structures - and I have to say that while the men seemed to relish the challenge and got truly stuck in from the off, the top line sounded a bit over-faced. Elsewhere in the service, they had acquitted themselves jolly well, but I just felt that they seemed understandably tired and just a bit rushed. Bet they'll be glad it's half term.

The Widor voluntary was electrifying - thanks and best wishes in Norwich, Mr Grote.

[Contre Bombarde]

The Widor voluntary was electrifying - thanks and best wishes in Norwich, Mr Grote.

Agreed and seconded. It was superbly played and sounded excellent on the Gloucester organ. It must have confused the BBC; after all according to their handook for presenters Widor wrote only one piece didn't he? That wasn't it...

The first movement from Widor VI is also a stunner; arguably more brilliant than the Finale and IMHO more challenging for the player. It's worth finding Daniel Roth's performance on the organ of St Sulpice on YouTube and watching his technique.

CB [with hands and feet in a virtual cold bath after an Easter Dupré fest.and the evening off.]

[ardcarp]

Tell us what Dupre, CB.

[ardcarp]

I thought that was a very splendid CE. My Beloved Spake got things off to an excellent start. The Cox canticles were most effective, and the Wesley (something of an oddity in the Anglican canon from Catholic yet Bach-influenced Samuel) was attacked with spirit. Well done, especially after the rigours of Easter Morn and Holy Week.

[Simon]

I thought that was a very splendid CE.

Seconded. Thoroughly enjoyed the Mag & Nunc - new to me. In Exitu could have gelled a bit better, I thought, but these long Wesley anthems have a habit of drifting...

Lovely service overall, so very well done the Glossies!

[Magnificat]

FYI, Ashley Grote is off to be DoM at Norwich soon...

The Norwich site shows the post as Organist and Master of the Music but apparently David Dunnett is currently acting only and eventually the post looks like being split with him as Organist and Ashley Grote as Master of the Music not Director of Music. I seem to remember that the advert in The Church Times was for a Master of the Music. Ashley Grote's predecessor concentrated on choral conducting only despite being termed Master of the Music. If this distinction is to continue surely the terminology should be Master of the Choir. In theses circumstances who is actually the overall Director of Music?

In other places with a similar arrangement there is usually only one acknowledged organist or there is the distinction of organist emeritus as at Lincoln; but now Norwich has two top class players yet only one is the official cathedral organist. These appointments are all getting a bit confusing. I just hope that someone sorts out the boys' choir there whatever title they have.

VCC.

[decantor]

I responded very positively to this service - maybe it caught my mood of the moment. I thought the Hadley introit was treated somewhat perfunctorily, its full sensuality not quite captured, but thereafter all was sweetness and light. Neil Cox adds to the repertoire in the same style as David Briggs - much organ bravura, but choral writing to match; both canticles were interesting and engaging, and gave the choir scope to show their mettle, but the Nunc was the more innovative. I found the Wesley anthem a powerful choral statement - there was so much going on that it demanded attention, and the choir put in the effort to make it work.

My sound system (or the Beeb's mikes?) struggled to do justice to the bass line throughout - it often seemed to get entangled with the organ pedal division. The trebles sounded oversung - tired, hoarse, soft-focused - but they also sounded totally in control and determined to take all three points from this fixture; I have no problem in settling for such commitment, as it has been a long haul since Epiphany; they did wonderfully well in exemplifying the energy that boys bring to liturgical singing, even if there was an element of desperation.

Yes, the Widor voluntary was terrific, and Gloucester will do well to find a suitable replacement for Ashley Grote so soon after losing Robert Houssart. But the choir's the main thing, and the choir does seem to be in very good heart.

[Contre Bombarde]

Tell us what Dupre, CB.

The final movement of Symphonie-Passion (Resurrection) before morning service, timed to end 30 seconds before the clock struck the hour, followed after the Easter proclamation by an improvised Easter fanfare based on the theme from Variations sur un Noel (Now the Green Blade Riseth) taking the key from D Major to C Major ready for "Jesus Christ is Risen Today". Prélude and Fugue en si majeur op.7 afterwards.

My apologies for such a brief response but we're off the land of the Cavaillé-Coll within the hour to stay with my wife's parents in Montmartre for the rest of the week.

[ardcarp]

Lucky duck, CB. Yes a Dupre Fest (Fete?) indeed.

I hope no-one is confusing the two Wesleys, i.e. S with SS. In Exitu is by S. If a little fatigue crept into the treble line it is hardly surprising. It has the same difficulties in performance as, say, one of the Bach unacc motets. If one is not careful everyone belts away full voice and there is more heat than light. Even if on paper the notes themselves are not difficult, it was a brave choice to end a live broadcast on Easter Day.

[ardcarp]

Ashley Groate is clearly an all-round good egg. The 'Sunrise Service' on R4 (Easter Day) came from Gloucester and was sung by the Cathedral Youth Choir, very effectively I thought, directed by AG. Furthermore his anthem based on the 'Lord of the Dance' tune was brilliant. Let's hope Norwich becomes a bit more than NFN when he gets his feet under the table!

Incidentally, what a good idea to have a cathedral youth choir. How many others are there?