Trying to identify choral piece used in "Entertaining Mr Sloane" (film)

[Karafan]

Hi everyone,
For 25 years now I have sought to find out the name of the piece of choral music used at the opening of the 1969 British film "Entertaining Mr Sloane", based on Joe Orton's play. The choral piece crops up again later in the film as Beryl Reid sits in her sitting room. It is not listed in the credits and hasn't been identified online as far as I know.

This is the piece:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YLNr2-dsyk

I have been told on another forum that it is Orlando Gibbons and is based on Psalm 39:5 - "Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth".

Using this I have searched online but cannot find a piece that sounds like this, going by this title. I would dearly love to get hold of a copy of the piece as used in the film and presume it must have been from a 1960s LP, given the date of the film.

If anyone can positively identify it and the recording I would be extremely grateful!

Many thanks

Karafan.

[subcontrabass]

It is part of Psalm 39, which is appointed to be sung at the start of a Funeral service in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. It is sung to an "Anglican Chant", but I do not know the composer.

[Wolsey]

It is part of Psalm 39, which is appointed to be sung at the start of a Funeral service in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. It is sung to an "Anglican Chant", but I do not know the composer.

The chant is by Walmisley (transposed up a semitone).

[weston752]

The chant is by Thomas Walmisley (of the d Mag and Nunc), 1814-1856, and is in F; no 132 in the Anglican Chant book, for those who remember such things....

[rauschwerk]

The chant is by Thomas Walmisley (of the d Mag and Nunc), 1814-1856, and is in F; no 132 in the Anglican Chant book, for those who remember such things....

Walmisley's godfather Thomas Attwood, who gave him his first composition lessons, was a composition pupil of Mozart.

[Karafan]

Thank you everyone!

And now the $64,000 question - does anyone know whether it is available on CD (as sung on the film soundtrack)?

Many thanks

Karafan

[Mark Sealey]

Could it be this, Priory #: 631?

Thank you everyone!
And now the $64,000 question - does anyone know whether it is available on CD (as sung on the film soundtrack)?
Many thanks
Karafan

[David Underdown]

That's the Walmisley Mag and Nunc (mentioned in passing), not the psalm chant that is actually used in the film. Don't know if that's available, particularly if it is actually tranposed up as Wolsey suggests (though could it just be on an organ at Old Philharmonic Pitch, e.g. Lichfield, Peterborough or Salisbury?)

[mercia]

Old Philharmonic Pitch

Wow! - never heard of that, could you explain more please?

[David Underdown]

A=452, pretty much the standard in the UK in the 19th century. The Proms/Queen's Hall Orchestra was one of the first to adopt A=440 when Dr Cathcart put up the investment which Newman had originally wanted from Wood. Cathcart also bought new instruments which were loaned to the wind players, and paid for work to the Queen's Hall organ to get it to A=440. Cathcart was an ENT surgeon who believed that the lower pitch was imperative for the ehalth of singers' voices (he was also responsible for the fountain which still adorns the Proms today, believing it would raise humidity levels which he also felt were good for the voice). See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concert_pitch

[mercia]

Oh thank you for that - very interesting.

[Wolsey]

...though could it just be on an organ at Old Philharmonic Pitch, e.g. Lichfield, Peterborough or Salisbury?

Impeccable information about Old Philharmonic Pitch and the three cathedral organs which today are indeed higher than A=440. The psalm, however, was unaccompanied.

[Magnificat]

Thank you everyone!

And now the $64,000 question - does anyone know whether it is available on CD (as sung on the film soundtrack)?

Many thanks

Karafan

I think your best bet would be to scour CDs of psalms and perhaps No 39 to this chant will be on one. Whether such CDs can be tracked down easily I 'm not sure though.

I have both the psalm and the chant on an LP "Psalms of Consolation and Hope" by the choir of St John's College Cambridge under George Guest but unfortunately psalm 39 is sung to a chant by C Hylton Stewart ( a similarly lovely chant though ) and the Walmisley chant is sung to psalm 49.

Good luck,

VCC

VCC

[crb11]

The Priory Psalms of David set doesn't help either - again Walmisley to Psalm 49, and this time Psalm 39 is sung to Howells.

Colin

[Magnificat]

I must admit that I had only ever heard this Walmisley chant sung to psalm 49 before hearing the film soundtrack. There doesn't look a lot of hope for finding a recording of it to 39 other than the film track itself.

VCC