CE Edington Priory August 22nd 2012

[DracoM]

CE Edington Priory
Edington Festival of Music within the Liturgy



Order of Service:


Introit: Beneath the Cross (first broadcast) (Ed Rex)
Responses: Martin
Psalm: 38 (Plainsong)
First Lesson: Lamentations 3: 1-24
Magnificat: Third Service (Philip Moore)
Nunc Dimittis: (Matthew Martin)
Second Lesson: Romans 5
Anthems: Memento Mei, Domine; Crucem tuam adoramus, Domine (Pawel Lukaszewski)
Final Hymn: It is a thing most wonderful (Herongate)


Organ Voluntary: Aus tiefer Not schrei ich zu dir BWV 686 (Bach)


Peter Stevens (Organist)
Jeremy Summerly, Matthew Martin, Benjamin Nicholas (Choir Directors)

[ardcarp]

Having just Googled the Edington Festival site, I have been unable to find out the constitution of the choirs involved. In recent years there has been a choir with adult sopranos, a choir with boys (maybe girls this year?) and a plainsong choir. Does anyone have more info?

[ardcarp]

PS I did find this however:

http://www.edingtonfestival.org/downloads/Edington-Organ-Newsletter-2.pdf

Edington (despite its 'Priory' appellation) does not have a generous acoustic, especially when full, and the existing organ is little better than the average village church one.

I guess Jeremy Summerly was conducting the 'adult' choir. He is good, isn't he?

[mw963]

PS

I guess Jeremy Summerly was conducting the 'adult' choir. He is good, isn't he?

I had the honour of joining the BBC on the same course as Mr Summerly. He was an extraordinarily nice bloke, extraordinarily talented, and extraordinarily amusing. He was kind even to fourth division amateur organists such as myself. He made a good drinking companion, although we lost touch decades ago!


I always turn off the subsequent programme that follows CE, and today I had three reasons within the first minute of In Tune. The wretched "presenter" remarked that she had a "brilliant" pianist and a guitar "sensation" on the programme, and then said she'd start the "show" with Shostakovich. Three reasons why she'd be better off on Classic FM wouldn't she....

It actually makes me very angry - because I remember what Radio 3 could and should be like - what would dear Cormac say?

[Vile Consort]

what would dear Cormac say?

Mass!

[mw963]

Mass!

Boom boom!

Actually I think it would have been a Requiem Mass for his beloved network.....

[Pegasus]

This would not normally a service which attracted much of my attention, however ... I listened, and was glad that I did.

I reckon the Third Service to be amongst the most attractive and instantly accessible of Philip Moore's considerable output. And, as for Matthew Martin's responses; well, much as I generally distrust wacky intonations, I thought these were first-rate. Sophisticated and restrained, prayerful imagination.

[mw963]

T And, as for Matthew Martin's responses; well, much as I generally distrust wacky intonations, I thought these were first-rate. Sophisticated and restrained, prayerful imagination.

Of course I can't find it now (thought it was last year's Edington but apparently not); but some time last year on a broadcast there was a lovely (recent, sad) chant by a "Martin" and I'm wondering if now his identity has been narrowed down.

[ardcarp]

I think your Martin is probably George:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Clement_Martin

...who was a generally good egg in Victorian maybe Edwardian times; and yes one stumbles across his chants in various psalters.

Returning to Matthew Martin, I too enjoyed his responses and anthem. Good stuff. I'm still hoping someone who was there will post in and tell us a bit more about who conducted what and whom.

[DracoM]

Just caught up.
Yes, fine service all round. Quiet, no fuss, very high standard of committed singing in all three ensembles, with distinctive timbres to all three - women / girls, boys / men and schola of men.

Both the Ed Rex Introit and the Martin Responses I hope we hear again. Nicely shaped and well sung.
What caught my ear were the Pawel Lukaszewski motets - both really worth exploring, and once more I do hope we hear them sung again, possibly in a bigger acoustic.

Many thanks to all.

[orbis factor]

Of course I can't find it now (thought it was last year's Edington but apparently not); but some time last year on a broadcast there was a lovely (recent, sad) chant by a "Martin" and I'm wondering if now his identity has been narrowed down.

Sad chant (2010) - Matthew not George

[orbis factor]

I think your Martin is probably George:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Clement_Martin

...who was a generally good egg in Victorian maybe Edwardian times; and yes one stumbles across his chants in various psalters.

Returning to Matthew Martin, I too enjoyed his responses and anthem. Good stuff. I'm still hoping someone who was there will post in and tell us a bit more about who conducted what and whom.

Consort (mixed voices) - Summerly
Nave Choir (boys/men) - Martin
Schola (p'song) - Nicholas

[mw963]

Thanks ardcarp and orbis factor. I'd have made it rather clearer had I written "VERY recent". I suppose George Martin is recent compared to Purcell, but this was "modern" and I think OF is on the money, there were similarities between the Responses we heard and that chant. I think I transcribed it at the time but no idea what I did with it...... Seem to remember it was beautifully desolate.....

[Vile Consort]

Very pleasing performance of the six-part Aus Tiefer Not (with two parts played on the pedals!) from Klavierübung III as the postlude. Possibly our last opportunity to hear this organ before the new Harrison is installed.

[orbis factor]

Very pleasing performance of the six-part Aus Tiefer Not (with two parts played on the pedals!) from Klavierübung III as the postlude. Possibly our last opportunity to hear this organ before the new Harrison is installed.

Next year will be the final festival with the present instrument.