CE Hereford Cathedral 25th July 2012

[DracoM]

CE Hereford Cathedral
Three Choirs Festival on the Feast of St James the Apostle
The choirs of Gloucester, Hereford and Worcester Cathedrals



Order of Service:



Introit: Let all mortal flesh keep silence (Bairstow)
Responses: Bernard Rose
Office Hymn: Lord, who shall sit beside thee (Christus der ist mein Leben)
Psalm: 94 (Turle)
First Lesson: Jeremiah 26: 1-15
Canticles: Evening Service in F (Collegium Regale) (Wood)
Second Lesson: Mark 1: 14-20
Anthem: Praise (Dobrinka Tabakova)
Final Hymn: Thanks be to God for his saints (Lobe den Herrn)


Organ Voluntary: Allegro (Symphony No 6 in G minor) (Widor)


Peter Dyke (Organist)
Geraint Bowen (Director of Music)

[DracoM]

Reminder: today @ 3.30 p.m.

[DracoM]

Excellent stuff. Traditional material for the most part, but extremely well sung, good discipline, beautifully balanced. Tabakova piece a fine contrast and movingly sung. Strong and confident solo / small ensemble work. Big thanks to Geraint Bowen and his grip on ensemble and pace.

[decantor]

Yes indeed - all just as one would wish from the Three Choirs. But did I hear a top B? From senior trebles? In late July?

[Bullock in D]

Agree with all of this but have to congratulate the organist who did a fine job especially as he was, according to the Three Choirs programme, playing continuo in the St John Passion last night. \the poor chap must be exhausted! The Widor thing ( not to my taste ) was amazingly well played. Well done all.

[DracoM]

You did! I was pretty amazed too. Came across as if the singer too was a bit surprised at how richly it came out!!

[maggie]

Thank you Three Choirs! The Bairstow introit was a great way to start, and the Wood is always a winner. These celebratory evensongs are exciting, when three cathedral choirs combine forces. At the SCF in Salisbury last week the three choirs sang Messiah in their final concert and Frank Martin’s Mass in the big Eucharist. Their combined evensong (broadcast next week) includes the thrilling Swayne magnificat.
Thanks to Mr Bowen, the clergy, and all the singers for a most enjoyable service today. Peter Dyke’s playing was exemplary.

[DracoM]

The three southern cathedrals are on CE next week - recorded recently.

[Pegasus]

A service I enjoyed very much. Thank you, Hereford.

As has already been remarked upon, exemplary playing from PD. A fabulous instrument to work with, but perfectly judged registration, and delightful imagination in the psalmody. Sparkling Widor to boot.

The resonance and homogeneity of the full choir passages was particularly successful. The introit extremely well-crafted (especially in respect of dynamics and balance of the contrasting textures).

[Double Diapason]

Mmm....I was expecting better TBH - particularly after the reviews above (are you all deaf?).
Was it very warm & humid in Hereford yesterday? Certainly sounds it! The tuning wasn't what it should be at this level and distracted my ears from what might have been good about this service. Sorry Hereford, Worcester & Gloucester but I skipped through the singing after the mag and enjoyed a wonderful Widor VI! The introit was fine but the tuning went in the psalm and didnt seem to be a temporary problem.

[DracoM]

Suggest you listen back to the 'anthem'. Might catch the ear.
On the St Thomas NYC website is quite an interesting St Hild and St Bede/Durham choir outing. Lot oc 'chat' to scroll throjugh but passable, maybe better.
The St T Girls' Summer chorister course begins very soon too.

[Mr Stoat]

the tuning went in the psalm.

It did.....?

[Magnificat]

Mmm....I was expecting better TBH - particularly after the reviews above (are you all deaf?).
Was it very warm & humid in Hereford yesterday? Certainly sounds it! The tuning wasn't what it should be at this level and distracted my ears from what might have been good about this service. Sorry Hereford, Worcester & Gloucester but I skipped through the singing after the mag and enjoyed a wonderful Widor VI! The introit was fine but the tuning went in the psalm and didnt seem to be a temporary problem.

DD

I thought the psalm singing was better this year. Last year you called it dreadful and I agreed.

This broadcast was earlier than previously - it's usually in August - and I think the smaller gap between end of term and the Festival evensong is sensible but it would be better to have it in term time to be sure of getting the best from the choirs.

VCC

[Bullock in D]

How on earth can you have a Three Choirs in term time?? Have you any idea what goes on behind the scenes to get everything going? The whole event relies on singers, both great and small, who give up their holidays to sing in this marvellous festival. And where WASN'T humid on Wednesday this week? Stornoway?

[DracoM]

Surely, given that 3Chs happens every year at one or other venue, all the choristers / lay clerks / organists etc know well in advance as do parents / schools etc that all that simply goes with the territory?