A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols Dec 25th 2012 2 p.m.

[Roger Judd]

What a wonderful archive piece. Thanks for posting it. When I went up to Cambridge just nine years later, David Willcocks directed the choir in a very similar manner, standing within the choir stalls. The Psalms were almost invariably accompanied by him, with a choral scholar on each side 'directing' with a finger on the top of the stalls. DVW would go down and direct the canticles and anthem with the minimum of gesture, all the work having been done in the rehearsal.

Happy New Year to all.
RJ

[Wolsey]

In my late-70s Cambridge days, Philip Ledger (and George Guest up the road, for that matter) would be in the organ loft at the start of a service, nearly always leaving the accompaniment of the psalms to the organ scholars. Both of them would only go downstairs to conduct (PL also from within the stalls) the canticles, second set of responses and anthem, before returning upstairs.

[ardcarp]

Remember nipping up to the loft at Lichfield once during the after-service organ music. Richard Greening has disappeared upstairs during the hymn. A particularly well-articulated Bach trio sonata was under way. It was RG playing the top part and his assistant (can't remember his name now) playing the bottom two parts on a different manual. No pedals. Cheating, maybe, but very effective.

[PeterboroughDiapason]

In my late-70s Cambridge days, Philip Ledger (and George Guest up the road, for that matter) would be in the organ loft at the start of a service, nearly always leaving the accompaniment of the psalms to the organ scholars. Both of them would only go downstairs to conduct (PL also from within the stalls) the canticles, second set of responses and anthem, before returning upstairs.

George Guest often liked to accompany the psalms. (Otherwise he would conduct them.)

[DracoM]

Yes, and what I liked about GG's accompanying from what I saw, he WAS accompanying, not leading, thus making the choral scholars conduct by looking across. I seem to recall [surely not] that once or twice I think I saw the Head Chorister even conduct a psalm - or am I just losing it?

[Simon]

once or twice I think I saw the Head Chorister even conduct a psalm - or am I just losing it?

I don't think you are. HC conducting beginnings/endings in the stalls was perfectly normal at one time, not so long ago either. I haven't seen it recently.

[Wolsey]

Continuing the theme of material now archived or previously unavailable until the advent of digital media in our homes and personal devices, forum members may be interested in the 1981 documentary on the choir of King's The Boast of Kings , as well as the 1978 documentary Paul's Children on YouTube. It's fascinating to see some of today's established musicians as teenagers or boys, as well as the work of Philip Ledger and Barry Rose. Other treasures to be found now on YouTube include a 1978 documentary - Sing Joyfully - on the Saint Thomas Choir, Fifth Avenue under Gerre Hancock, and an incomplete documentary on the Westminster Cathedral Choir School.

[DracoM]

Worth it for the Parsons Ave Maria alone.

[ardcarp]

I think I saw the Head Chorister even conduct a psalm -

It used to be done at Llandaff at one time, I believe.

[DracoM]

And did you notice in the Boast of King's video that Ledger's beat was being directed across choir and then relayed back by middle man on the back desks?

[Roger Judd]

That was how I remember it in David Willcock's time at King's too in the mid 60s.

When I was a chorister at Winchester Cathedral, all the beating was done by the two senior boys. The only music that was 'conducted' was unaccompanied, a situation largely dictated, I guess, by the fact that we had no Sub Organist as we'd know it today. Alwyn Surplice, our wonderful Director, did virtually all the playing, and only came down to conduct the unaccompanied repertoire. It is also perhaps mentioning, as we are having a bit of a reminisce (!), that we sang Matins most mornings too - two canticles and an anthem - difficult to imagine how that all worked nowadays.
RJ

[ardcarp]

Roger,

What was the usual Sunday morning service....Matins? These days many parish churches and some cathedrals have an interminable Sunday morning, beginning like Matins (responses, psalm, lessons, a canticle) and then transmuting into a Eucharist, which, with a sermon as well, lasting a good 1hr30min. Too long!!!

[DracoM]

Interesting that you guys are spelling it 'Matins' whereas 'Mattins' is also found. Single 't' I associate with the monastic hour, double 't' with Anglican service. Am I wrong to think like this?

One central bass, one central tenor did the beat for us.

[Roger Judd]

Yes, Matins with sermon, followed by Sung Eucharist which as far as I recall didn't have a sermon. Evensong at 3.30pm didn't have a sermon either in those days, and then there was a congregational Evensong at 6.30 which did, and was sung by half of the choristers (8) and some 'voluntary' men. Matins was the full choir (16 boys, 4 probationers(?) + 6 men), the Eucharist was sung by fewer boys, maybe 12, on a rota, so that those not singing could have a little more time to go out and have lunch with parents / relatives. We didn't enjoy the luxury of long half-term breaks either, and the Christmas term finished for the choir on the Thursday following Christmas Day when we had the great carol service - in my last year as a chorister that happened on December 31st - can't see that happening these days! I'm afraid that I can't remember whether we sang all the services up to the 31st - we certainly had Boxing Day off ...
RJ

[ardcarp]

I did ponder on Matins versus Mattins. Google doesn't seem to recognise the latter, and such is the exhaustion induced by entertaining endlessly from Dec 24 to the present, I could not lift up mine eyes unto the bookshelves. Oh dear...there's the decorations to remove and Epiphany stuff to mug up for tomorrow. Sigh.