CE Salisbury Cathedral 1st August 2012

[DracoM]

CE Salisbury Cathedral
The 2012 Southern Cathedrals Festival
Choirs of Chichester, Salisbury and Winchester Cathedrals



Order of Service:



Introit: Behold, the tabernacle of God (Harris)
Responses: Radcliffe
Office Hymn: I heard the voice of Jesus say (Kingsfold)
Psalms: 6, 7, 8 (Wesley, Kelway, Cooke, Lawes)
First Lesson: 2 Chronicles 6:18-21
Magnificat: (Giles Swayne)
Second Lesson: 1 Peter 2: 4 -10
Nunc Dimittis: Charles Wood in B flat
Anthem: The River of Life (Southern Cathedrals Festival Commission - first broadcast) (Neil Cox)
Final Hymn: Ye that know the Lord is gracious (Rustington)



Organ Voluntary: Allegro Deciso (from Évocation Op.37) (Dupré)



Simon Bell (organ)
David Halls (Director of Music)





Service is recorded.
Apologies for very early posting - can't do it on Sunday next.

[maggie]

Here’s the text of the anthem taken from the Salisbury order of service:

The River of Life

Angelus ostendit mihi... Then the angel showed me the River of the Water of Life, as bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God. On either side of the river, the Tree of Life with its twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. The throne of God will be there, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their brows. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign for ever and ever. I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And he said to me Ecce venio… I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. Whoever is thirsty, let him come, and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. He who testifies to these things says Etiam venio… surely I am coming soon.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"Behold, I freely give
the living water, thirsty one;
stoop down and drink, and live."
I came to Jesus, and I drank
of that life-giving stream;
my thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
and now I live in him.

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of God’s people. Amen.



Words: Revelation Chapter 22 & Horatius Bonar

[DracoM]

Many thanks.

[terratogen]

What a text on that anthem. I'll look forward to hearing Neil Cox's setting of the words tomorrow evening.

[DracoM]

Some excellent singing, good balance by engineers too. Swayne is tricky, particularly with such numbers, but ably done with some bouncing rhythms.

Cox anthem. Hmm. At first hearing, felt just a tad long, a bit 'safe' maybe? Certainly compared to the Swayne, positively staid! Nicely done - tenors particularly good, treble line weakened a bit here and there but it held together well.

[ardcarp]

IMO, this was a wonderful CE. I heard it at 7am today, so no chance of gin-induced euphoria. The combined choirs sounded magnificent...back row to dream of....and how sensible to do the CE before the big bash (Messiah) not the day after as in TCF's case. The Harris and the Wood will delight any lover of the trad Anglican persuasion, and the Swayne delighted me...what a classic of 20th cent church music. Cox judged his commissioned piece well, I think. There was nothing too tricky (organ part excepted) and nothing to frighten the horses, with lots of opportunity for euphonious chords to roll around the cathedral. I'm not a fan of minimalist trends and Cox avoided being too idiotically repetitive. Simon Bell accompanied everything superbly (psalms, hymns, anthem) and gave us a fabulous Dupre 'sortie'. You just couldn't hear a job better done. And a big, big well done to all the youngsters. And finally, Mr Swayne, if you're still putting pen to paper, how about a Nunc to go with your Mag ?

[Pegasus]

Nunc dimittis I was commissioned by the 1986 Norwich Festival of Contemporary Church Music. It is scored for double choir and organ, lasts about five minutes, and is closely related to Magnificat I (1982), which was written four years earlier. Even the six-note mode in which it starts and ends is the same; and it uses the same music for the Amen.

There is also a Magnificat II and Nunc dimittis II from 2004 and 2005, respectively.

[ardcarp]

Thanks, Pegasus. I'm so out of the loop these days, I have not heard them. I wonder why Nunc 1 isn't coupled with the Mag more often?

[Pegasus]

I wonder why Nunc 1 isn't coupled with the Mag more often?

Extended rehearsal time demanded by the Magnificat, perhaps? Both are on a BBC Singers/SJC recording, I think.

SCF did a good job of it, I thought. Not easy for the tightest of regular ensembles.

(I used to be on a deplist which placed an asterisk by your name if you were capable of depping said Magnificat. That is a hospital pass if you accept the gig without checking the music list.)

[ardcarp]

That is a hospital pass if you accept the gig without checking the music list.

(Been there!)

[DracoM]

But those fantastic cross-rhythms really get a good cathedral choir excited. They don't often get the chance to rock!

[BasilHarwood]

CAN OF WORMS ALERT! Boys or girls...?

Not sure I could ever attempt to sing the Swayne...

[130.mitFuga]

CAN OF WORMS ALERT! Boys or girls...?

Not sure I could ever attempt to sing the Swayne...

Surely, Basil, you're not implying that boys don't rock!!

[Triforium]

Surely, Basil, you're not implying that boys don't rock!!

Which would, of course, make Basil fawlty....(sic)

[amateur51]

Which would, of course, make Basil fawlty....(sic)