CE Chapel of New College, Oxford 30th May 2012

[decantor]

I share the general disbelief. Like Anna, I feel there is only one being that can whip up a thunderstorm to indicate displeasure - and we all thought Zeus was dead! We've not had a run like this during this millennium. Apparently, they did manage to record the New College service, and it will be broadcast on Sunday at 4.00.

I enjoyed the service we heard from Manchester, though - 30 June 2004. Here's the service sheet --- and Francis Pott still gets his look-in.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/choralevensong/pip/easgt/

[ardcarp]

I was an agnostic. Now I'm a believer...in a vengeful God. Are microphones affected by frogs and boils?

[Anna]

I was an agnostic. Now I'm a believer...in a vengeful God. Are microphones affected by frogs and boils?

No, not at all. It's the plagues of locusts that eat the mic cables in a trice.

[Magnificat]

I'm sorry we cannot go to the advertised Choral Evening Song, they are experiencing major power failures I think I heard that correctly ....... shall we have a whip round for 50p for the meter? Edit: She has just said it's a major thunderstorm they are having, well that's an Act of God, perhaps He's trying to tell someone something?

Perhaps He's not too keen on the NCO sound!!

VCC

[Wolsey]

Perhaps He's not too keen on the NCO sound!!

Following this argument to its logical conclusion, have the St John's, Chichester and Wells 'sounds' similarly incurred His wrath?

[terratogen]

Following this argument to its logical conclusion, have the St John's, Chichester and Wells 'sounds' similarly incurred His wrath?

If He's that picky, I fear my shower repertoire has put my soul in grave danger.

[Colonel Danby]

I was really looking forward to CE from New College Oxford: I hope it will be re-broadcast on Sunday afternoon.

[mw963]

It may seem hard to believe, but there have been runs of disrupted Choral Evensongs in the past, some even worse than the current batch.

When the satellite path was originally introduced (I'd guess about 1988) there were a number of problems, particularly with sites nearer London (I have tapes of Guildford and St Albans coming to shuddering halts, with the inimitable Tony Scotland on one presiding calmly and charmingly over the catastrophes, made the whole thing worthwhile!). Prior to that the BBC mainly used a system of BT vision links piloted by Sony PCM F 701 digital encoders (normally used for recording digital on video tape, but actually brilliant also in this guise) and many of us lamented the initial deterioration in reliability when the sat system I've mentioned was introduced. However, those problems were gradually ironed out...

(In passing I'd add that the Sony/BT vision link system wasn't without its problems, I remember a Coventry (I think) broadcast coming and going because an SHF (microwave) link back to Birmingham forming part of the vision link chain was subject to severe rain-fade during a couple of downpours.)

Then there was another bad run in the mid 90s, culminating finally in a profuse apology where it was stated that a complete review of the link system was being undertaken by the very pinnacles of the BBC R3/OB management edifices - at this time I *believe* that pairs of ISDN lines were being used, and they were often hopelessly unreliable. We again lamented the passing of a previously reliable system.....

So we've been here before, many many times. But it's odd that Cambridge had that disruptive flood a couple of years ago and now Oxford has had this storm.

Never did get to hear my Ashfield chant.....

(I've been listening so long I can remember the days when far flung cathedrals were broadcast in mono, often to the accompaniment of the pulse dialling bumps on adjacent subscriber lines!)

[DracoM]

I was really looking forward to CE from New College Oxford: I hope it will be re-broadcast on Sunday afternoon.

We are assured that the recording per se went ahead and will be broadcast on Sunday. The Manchester Cath CE from 2004 is currently on LA.

[Finzi4ever]

I share the general disbelief. Like Anna, I feel there is only one being that can whip up a thunderstorm to indicate displeasure - and we all thought Zeus was dead! We've not had a run like this during this millennium. Apparently, they did manage to record the New College service, and it will be broadcast on Sunday at 4.00.

I enjoyed the service we heard from Manchester, though - 30 June 2004. Here's the service sheet --- and Francis Pott still gets his look-in.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/choralevensong/pip/easgt/

Perhaps we should start a new thread on the Manc. broadcast we actually got yesterday. I for one was glad to hear this one again, secure in the knowledge we'll get NCO on Sunday: BOGOF (good value, say I).
A nice irony with the "God displayed in the storm' in the Elgar anthem, of course.

[Keraulophone]

I for one was glad to hear this one again, secure in the knowledge we'll get NCO on Sunday: BOGOF

...and it was a pleasant surprise to hear the friendly dulcet tones of the Reverend Stephen Shipley as guest Precentor.

[ardcarp]

It may seem hard to believe, but there have been runs of disrupted Choral Evensongs in the past, some even worse than the current batch.

As a self-confessed [ah, religious overtones there] technophobe, I have a touching faith [there we go again] in the quasi-supernatural [!] powers of those who can do clever things with electronics. As I said on a bygone thread bemoaning similar woes, I find it quite staggering that what is surely a simple matter of doing an outside broadcast...sound only...can be so difficult for these gods of the cyber-world. Whilst I appreciate there used to be glitches (land-line glitches?) have things moved on....at all????

[Y Mab Afradlon]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radio3/2012/06/choral-evensong.shtml

[DracoM]

Many thanks.

Still don't quite get why so many CEs are / have been interrupted when the BBC radio relays footie match after footie match in all manner of weathers, and in outdoor locations to boot.

[Keraulophone]

"Generators are utilised only where there is an absence of stable electrical mains; for example at outdoor events. Even the quietest generators chugging away in a cathedral close or college quadrangle as a back-up would be intrusive." (Philip Billson, Series Producer, CE)

'Footie' matches tend to be rowdier occasions than CE...