Choral releases on CD Review

[ardcarp]

Andrew McG did a 'dialogue' with a quite knowledgeable young woman (anyone supply her name and provenance please?) and ranged across some very pleasing new CDs; not a wobbly soprano in sight...but don't let's go down that road again. A. McG has this thing about trying to get his guest to say more arty-farty things than they really want to. However they had obviously planned in advance their 'take' on each recording. They had a bit of a downer on Voces8's crack at Os Justi, mainly on the grounds that it wasn't being given the big choir treatment. Well, er, Voces8, not Voces 80, so why shouldn't they give us their beautifully crafted version (on a CD full of a wide range of choral music)?

Carping apart, it is worth having a listen to this part of the programme if you want to hear, inter alia, some Howells, Poulenc, Pott, Dove and much else.

[Gabriel Jackson]

not a wobbly soprano in sight...but don't let's go down that road again.

I think you just did...!

[french frank]

Don't mention the war...!

I think Caroline Gill (of Gramophone magazine?) was the other critic.

[ardcarp]

Thanks ff.

[Simon Biazeck]

I think you just did...!

I have sent you a private message!

BW

S.

[DracoM]

I was very taken by the in parenthesis 'intriguing' discussion between attention to the music all about Trinity Camb / Layton / locations / attitudes to recording etcetc in the light of a long running correspondence in this Forum some months ago. Worth listening to again for The Choir posters perhaps?

I have reservations about the way the Lady Chapel at Ely was used in one or two of the tracks they discussed. Yes, it is a fine acoustic - for certain kinds of music. From what we heard on CDR, I wasn't that convinced that Howells Requiem [or the Hymnus Paradisi come to that] is quite the right piece. And that St Paul's Service was [a] deffo recorded in the wrong place - as they agreed- and [b] so fantastically SLOW it had the effect of pulling the whole thing apart and laying it out like an IKEA flat pack without the reassembly instructions or allan key. It seemed to lack forward propulsion, intensity, and urgency. Very odd. Bang in tune and lifeless.

But I do SO agree with ardcarp about how AMcG now tries to corner his subjects into strings of recording mag cliches and superlatives. The programme was littered by them and very, very tiresome they are and of course, the more they are used, they less value they have. They simply become irritating noise that surrounds the actual music like bluebottles buzzing round food.

[ardcarp]

And that St Paul's Service was [a] deffo recorded in the wrong place - as they agreed

...I may have mis-heard, but I think they approved of Lincoln, its acoustic and its organ for the St Paul's canticles. Must LA when I've got time. As for the tempo, they were obviously going for the broad approach. I don't blame Sid and Trinity Choir for singing around a bit. Their chapel and its organ are not ideal for 'majestic Anglican'.

[Gabriel Jackson]

And that St Paul's Service was [a] deffo recorded in the wrong place - as they agreed- and [b] so fantastically SLOW it had the effect of pulling the whole thing apart and laying it out like an IKEA flat pack without the reassembly instructions or allan key. It seemed to lack forward propulsion, intensity, and urgency. Very odd. Bang in tune and lifeless.

Actually Stephen Layton takes 11 seconds less than John Scott in St Paul's, and 9 seconds more than Christopher Robinson in the much less resonant St John's Cambridge in the Magnificat, and 10 and 38 seconds more, respectively, in the Nunc Dimittis.

[Gabriel Jackson]

...I may have mis-heard, but I think they approved of Lincoln, its acoustic and its organ for the St Paul's canticles. Must LA when I've got time. As for the tempo, they were obviously going for the broad approach.

They did! And the tempo indications in the passage played are piu tranquillo, followed by allargando, followed by ancora poco meno mosso, then con moto, before a final allargando. I don't see how anyone could find the performance unduly slow.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

i wonder if ms Gill is available in the mornings?

excellent discussion .... i listened agog from under the duvet ... bedroom radio is gorgeous FM stereo innit so the choirs sounded good too ....

[DracoM]

Yep, got my Lincoln mixed with my Ely in recalling without LAing. Sorry.

[Y Mab Afradlon]

This might interest some of you ...... anyone care to count the numbers in this promotional video and compare them to who is acknowledged in the CD booklet?

[AscribeUntoTheLad]

I counted 38 in both this video and the photo of them recording in Lincoln which is in the CD booklet. There are 40 singers acknowledged.

[ardcarp]

Lovely clip, Y Mab. Thanks.

[Nick Armstrong]

excellent discussion .... i listened agog from under the duvet ... bedroom radio is gorgeous FM stereo innit so the choirs sounded good too ....

You and me both Calum

Great listen, though I agree that AMcG's 'dialogues' are starting to be laced with rather annoying clichés...

I thought the Howells sounded fine (I already have the CD on order) and not at all too slow (and yes the pair of them suggested that Lincoln was a good place for it, in contrast to the 'home' acoustic at Trinity).

I propose to investigate the Voces8 Bruckner - irrespective of the contributor's contrived similes involving helicopters and Airbus 380s... - I found it beautiful, like you ardcarp.