CE Southwell Minster 19th Sept 2012

[DracoM]

I'm always surprised that CE never comes from St Mary's Nottingham. It's a fine set-up.

[Simon]

Philip...#3..... tell him to ignore comments from any old stick-in-the-muds who haven't even heard his piece yet!

He means me, Philip! And he's quite right, of course. But I hope that most regulars at least will have gathered from the tone of my post that I wasn't greatly stirred up about it. I didn't criticize it of course, I just said that I hoped it would be good. I'd be delighted to hear any new gem, as always.

To be honest, although I haven't been recently as often as I used to, I'm confident that the reputation of Southwell's DoM is such that nobody need worry about the ultra-mod taking over. Based on past experience, there's a great balance of varied musical styles throughout the year, usually superbly sung.

Good luck to all on Wefnesday.

Seconded!

[DracoM]

Reminder: today @ 3.30 p.m. If it matters to you, I'm assuming it is the Minster Choir - boys and men - i/c today's service. Not totally clear from the weekly service sheet.

[Philip]

Reminder: today @ 3.30 p.m. If it matters to you, I'm assuming it is the Minster Choir - boys and men - i/c today's service. Not totally clear from the weekly service sheet.

It certainly will be. All services at Southwell are unless they tell you otherwise (the Girls choir sing Monday evenings or the early service on Sunday alternately, and only occasionally with the men).

[chrisjstanley]

I thoroughly enjoyed the singing and the organ recital. The music left me in need of a more traditional fix from St Thomas Choir NYC

http://www.saintthomaschurch.org/music/services/show/3885

Has the entire Ashfield psalter been ditched? If so nothing left worth going back there for IMO.

bws
Chris S

[DracoM]

A tricky-ish introit, Leighton canticles which do not sing themselves, and a new commission - I'd call that a pretty daunting task for a choir within a fortnight or so of the start of the new term. A side issue is why programme in one CE so many items - each not without its traps?

I warmed to and would, like to hear again the Turner piece. Bit rambling and with a lot of influences maybe, BUT really singable, offered chances for meaningful and very well taken solos [loved the treble duet, and the really forthright tenor ] as well as choral treats.

VG organ accompaniment too throughout. Bit of a baptism of fire for a new Assistant in a nationwide broadcast on national radio, but nobly done, sir!

Leighton I thought wobbled a bit in places, and the introit was for me merely 'so-so' music, struggling a wee bit for effect, maybe? Psalms curiously quiet almost tentative sounding in places - was that mic balance maybe?

The real plus was that this academic year, on present hearing, the Southwell Minster choir is clearly going to be in very good form with this pool of singers.

[decantor]

DracoM - as so often before - expresses my feelings about the service very precisely in his Post #21.

I was especially grateful for the closing voluntary. York Bowen examined me for Piano Grade VIII: I thought he was a nice old stick, and not only because he accorded me far better than a pass (and so more than I merited). Sadly, he died just a few months later, and I have always made a point of listening to his music since those distant days, though it is not much available. The G mi Fantasia added to my tally of discoveries...... thank you, Mr Hogan.

[ardcarp]

Decantor. Indeed York Bowen was a most accomplished composer...sadly neglected because his style is 'out of its time'. Would an innocent ear have suspected him to be the author of that voluntary? I almost wish I hadn't seen the music list and known in advance. It was brilliantly idiomatic for the instrument and could have come from the pen of one of the great French romantics...but with a few twists and turns in the harmony which IMO were quite original. Very well played too...and the SM organ sounded pretty good to me. (I played it in the 1970s...4 manuals and squre HNB pistins...reeds very out of tune, but not today). Reverting to York Bowen, one of my daughters played a flute piece by him for her Grade VIII. Fabulaous piece, with a Grade Zillion piano accompaniment. Did YB have very big hands???

[Philip]

Very well played too...and the SM organ sounded pretty good to me. (I played it in the 1970s...4 manuals and squre HNB pistins...reeds very out of tune, but not today).

Both organs at Southwell date from the 1990s, and both use some pipework from other instruments. Interestingly, the 32' stops on both organs are digital, not pipe, but no less effective. The screen organ is always used for Evensong in the Quire. Simon Hogan certainly seems to have the measure of it, and I enjoyed the York Bowen piece very much, having not come across it before. I also enjoyed the Guy Turner anthem, and Draco's comments seem to sum up my own thoughts here.

[ardcarp]

Perhaps someone on the 'organ thread' would like to expand on what happened to the Southwell HNB organ I played all those years ago. It was on the screen (I was accompanying a visiting public school choir) and Kenneth Beard, the then organist, warned me about the out-of-tune reeds. But as the fare included Blessed City and Stanford in C, I could hardly not use them! There was no 32' as I recall; I wonder who did the rebuilds and whether they were castigated by ISOB for using electronic bits?

[decantor]

Decantor. Indeed York Bowen was a most accomplished composer...sadly neglected because his style is 'out of its time'. Would an innocent ear have suspected him to be the author of that voluntary? I almost wish I hadn't seen the music list and known in advance. It was brilliantly idiomatic for the instrument and could have come from the pen of one of the great French romantics...but with a few twists and turns in the harmony which IMO were quite original. <snip>....... Reverting to York Bowen, one of my daughters played a flute piece by him for her Grade VIII. Fabulaous piece, with a Grade Zillion piano accompaniment. Did YB have very big hands???

We're talking about a long time ago........! My main recollection is of the hair on the back of his fingers, but I don't think his hands were especially large (certainly not by Rach standards), and they seemed to curl as if they were paws - definitely a finger-tips player!

I agree about YB as composer, and about today's piece. Some of his piano miniatures are delightful, and I seem to recall his viola concerto is worthy of respect. In truth, I'm surprised his music interests me as much as it does ("out of its/my time"), but he does have a beguiling way of holding one's attention (like Bax, say, in his choral music). It's about time Donald Macleod took up his case.

[ardcarp]

It's about time Donald Macleod took up his case

Hear, hear.

[Philip]

Perhaps someone on the 'organ thread' would like to expand on what happened to the Southwell HNB organ I played all those years ago. It was on the screen (I was accompanying a visiting public school choir) and Kenneth Beard, the then organist, warned me about the out-of-tune reeds. But as the fare included Blessed City and Stanford in C, I could hardly not use them! There was no 32' as I recall; I wonder who did the rebuilds and whether they were castigated by ISOB for using electronic bits?

http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsear...c_index=N07714 - I presume that is the one you refer to?

The current organ was built by Nicholsons - the Minster website has a good piece on it at http://www.southwellminster.org/the-screen-organ.html. I think Paul Hale wanted to create something as versatile as possible, and with only 51 stops he certainly seems to have done that. The 32' digitals are actually very effective.

[ardcarp]

but he does have a beguiling way of holding one's attention (like Bax, say, in his choral music)

I guess you're probably thinking of that most unusual piece, Mater Ora Filium.

[bach736]

I agree about YB as composer, and about today's piece. Some of his piano miniatures are delightful, and I seem to recall his viola concerto is worthy of respect. In truth, I'm surprised his music interests me as much as it does ("out of its/my time"), but he does have a beguiling way of holding one's attention.

Some interesting information on York Bowen here :

http://www.allthingsstrings.com/layout/set/print/News/Interviews-Profiles/Rediscovering-the-Viola-Music-of-York-Bowen