"The Choir" Top Ten

[DracoM]

He did indeed.

And I absolutely swear I did NOT know that my predction - written in weary, ironic jest - would actually turn out ot be TRUE!

JEG clearly rules the known media / classical music world.

A weird programme, whose purpose I am still not quite sure. Advert for Gramophone? A piece of subversion of Gramophone? Que?

[decantor]

Well, it may indeed have been a "weird programme", hitching its star to so nebulous a concept as The Gramophone's Top Ten. But I confess that I enjoyed it more than many other editions of The Choir. We did get to hear some truly fine choirs in an interesting range of repertoire. What's to complain about there, so long as one takes the order with a pinch of salt? Aled's additions to the list were also welcome grist to the mill.

Delighted though I was to see Wells flying the flag for the liturgical choirs, I did feel that the selection of Wells threw into relief the absurdity of the whole exercise. There must be three - even six or eight - equally good liturgical choirs in the UK, several of which have very distinguished back catalogues. But I do mean "equally good", not "better": I have no wish to be implicated in the rankings game.

[Magnificat]

I won't be mealy mouthed about it.

There are certainly very many cathedral/college choirs of boys and men better than Wells. Choirs that are heard on CE year after year. We have heard Wells boys and men once in five years under Matthew Owens which is disgraceful frankly considering the set up there compared to somewhere like St Albans who consistently produce the goods.

All Wells's recordings under Matthew Owens have been with mixed forces. You just can't compare this with the likes of NCO, the other Oxbridge choirs and the Westminster choirs for example and I know that the mixed force record from SA for Naxos ( Rutter's Gloria, Magnificat and Te Deum ) coming out in April will also give Wells's boys, girls ( not young women ) and men a run for their money.

VCC

[DracoM]

Here is the 'top 20'.
Make of it what you will.


20: I Fagiolini

19: The Arnold Schoenberg Choir

18: Stile Antico

17: The Balthasar Neumann Choir

16: Westminster Abbey Choir

15: Les Arts Florissants

14: The Choir of New College, Oxford

13: The Tallis Scholars

12: The Choir of King's College, Cambridge

11: The Dunedin Consort

10: Swedish Radio Choir

9: RIAS Chamber Choir

8: Accentus

7: Collegium Vocale Ghent

6: Wells Cathedral Choir

5: The Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge

4: The Sixteen

3: The Cardinall's Musick

2: Polyphone

1: The Monteverdi Choir



Notice, no Westminster Cathedral? no St Thomas Fifth Avenue, but also no BBC Singers.
BUT
I Fagiolini - a choir?
AND
KCC ahead of NCO? St John's, Hereford?

Tell me about the behind the scenes BBC / London/Cambridge mafia.

Pah!