CE Durham Cathedral Wed, Feb 27th 2013

[Vox Humana]

Several times recently I have heard BBC announcers stress the second syllable of Purcell's name.

Flogging the pronunciation some more, his name is mentioned several times in the prefatory poems to the two volumes of Purcell's songs published by Playford in 1721 under the title Orpheus Britannicus. In addition to the two already-highlighted examples from Dryden's ode "Mark how the Lark and Linnet Sing" --

So ceas'd the rival Crew when Purcell came,
They Sung no more, or only Sung his Fame.

Now live secure, and linger out your Days,
The Gods are pleas'd alone with Purcell's Layes,

-- we also have some others:

(1) In a poem by one "R. G.":

And thou my Muse (how e'er the Criticks blame)
Pleas'd with his Worth, and faithful to his Fame,
Art Music while y'are hallowing Purcell's Name.

(2) In a poem by one "P. K.":

All this to Purcell, but there's something due
To Purcell's and Apollo's Friend, to you,
[...]
Their feeble malice but your Fame secures,
And Publishes both Purcell's Works and Tours.

(3) In a poem by "H. Hall. Organist of Hereford Cathedral" (not sure which of the two Henry Halls this would be, but I assume the one who was organist at the time of Purcell's death):

Purcell! the pride and Wonder of the Age,
The Glory of the Temple, and the Stage.
[...]
Who e're like Purcell could our Passions move!
Whoever sang so feelingly of Love!
[...]
Though equal care our Master might bestow,
Yet only Purcell e're shall equal Blow:

(4) In another poem by Hall:

Tho' Purcell living had our utmost Praise,
And dead, almost does Adoration raise,
[...]
By this, my Friend, you'll get immortal Fame,
When still with Purcell we read Playford's Name.

I think all this speaks for itself. The first line of example (3) above is perhaps inconclusive, but all of the other citations place the stress on "Pur". I think the onus is on those who would stress the second syllable to come up with (reasonably) contemporary evidence that refutes these examples.

[ardcarp]

Chrisjs. I've never sung (or seen) Purcell in Bb in any other edition so can't comment about Boyce. It's a long time since I sang anything from BCM (Boyce's Cathedral Music) tenor clef and all. Does anyone still use it? I know Durham, in Richard Lloyd's day, used to use it occasionally...just to keep up the tradition, I think.

On the subject of Wednesday's broadcast, yes indeed it was good to hear fresh enthusiastic voices. Vowel sounds maybe need taming a bit, and some of the phrasing, especially clipped endings, need some more thought. The Purcell canticles came over as a bit lightweight and inconsequential. The notes were sung but the speed and the 'architecture' didn't quite convince. JQM is one of Purcell's gems and I enjoyed it. Pity the gremlin wrecked the final chord!

[Simon]

Well done Durham from all here - a really good service. All the Gloria's were tiresome to me, too, and the psalms were faster than I'm used to, but for me they have always been the best bit of most evensongs and it was good to hear them all.

We never did the Bb, and it's easy to see why the G- is more popular. JQM was excellent in my view and I've listened several times to it. I'm back for only 2 days in the UK and it has now been loaded onto my portable device to enjoy again elsewhere.

Thanks to all at Durham.

[Wolsey]

...the singing of the gloria after each one was tiresome in the extreme.

and

...All the Gloria's were tiresome to me, too, ...

Be reminded of the rubric in the Book of Common Prayer under the chapter The Order how the Psalter is appointed to be read:

"And at the end of every Psalm, and of every such part of the 119th Psalm, shall be repeated this hymn, Glory be to the Father..."[etc]

While some foundations are relaxed on the matter, others choose to observe the rubric, and are surely entitled to do so without criticism.

[Finzi4ever]

and


Be reminded of the rubric in the Book of Common Prayer under the chapter The Order how the Psalter is appointed to be read:

"And at the end of every Psalm, and of every such part of the 119th Psalm, shall be repeated this hymn, Glory be to the Father..."[etc]

While some foundations are relaxed on the matter, others choose to observe the rubric, and are surely entitled to do so without criticism.

"Hear, hear!" say I and I think the way Dunelm. sang the Glorias, at pace but with respect for their importance, was apt with quite a few to have to do on the day.

[ardcarp]

Leaving the Glorias out between psalms is surely the exception anyway? Most places do them.

Does anyone know if the High Anglican practice of leaving Glorias out altogether during Lent happens anywhere?

[Vox Humana]

I may misunderstand, but doesn't (or shouldn't) that apply only to the Gloria in excelsis, not the Gloria Patri?

[mopsus]

I've come across the Gloria Patri being omitted on broadcasts in Holy Week, not only in psalms but also sometimes resulting in truncated canticle settings! I think it is standard practice to omit it in Holy Week in the Catholic Church, but am willing to be corrected.

There was a vogue for omitting all psalm doxologies but the last some years ago (particularly IIRC around the south coast), on the grounds that the doxology was a later intrusion into the liturgy. 'Later' turned out to mean something like 'in the 4th century AD'.

[Wolsey]

Does anyone know if the High Anglican practice of leaving Glorias out altogether during Lent happens anywhere?

I stand to be corrected, but believe that the Gloria Patri was omitted in the period from Passion Sunday to Holy Saturday when crosses were also veiled.

[bach736]

.. the Gloria Patri was omitted in the period from Passion Sunday to Holy Saturday when crosses were also veiled.

Do you mean Lent V or Lent VI, Wolsey?

[Wolsey]

Do you mean Lent V or Lent VI, Wolsey?

Lent V. I should, perhaps, have said the last two Sundays in Lent in order to avoid the possibility of confusion.

[Philip]

Picking up on a couple of points raised...

When I've been to Southwell Minster and they have more than one psalm they don't sing the Gloria between them. In my experience though this is the exception rather than the rule. The collection in this broadcast is the most numerous in the cycle IIRC. The only time I've heard the Gloria omitted altogether was when I went to the Minster last year on Holy Saturday, and it was omitted from both psalms and canticles. They don't do this all Holy Week though as they did a broadcast a couple of years ago on the Wednesday which definitely included them. Maybe just Good Friday and Holy Saturday? I'd guess its down to local tradition.

As to Purcell, the B flat is OK but the G minor is where its at for me. I've just come back from a trip to York and visited the Minster and we had the G minor with Jehova quam - fab stuff.

[Roger Judd]

à propos Purcell's B flat service. On this morning's (Tuesday) Composer of the Week two other movements from the set were broadcast. The 'alternative' Evensong canticles Cantate Domino & Deus Misereatur were performed by Simon Preston's Christ Church Oxford choir. The Benedicite from the set is a splendid piece (also edited by Watkins Shaw). One of the peculiarities of all the canticles is that each Gloria Patri is written as a different sort of canon.
A fine service from Durham I thought - thanks to all concerned.
RJ

[Simon]

à propos Purcell's B flat service. On this morning's (Tuesday) Composer of the Week two other movements from the set were broadcast. The 'alternative' Evensong canticles Cantate Domino & Deus Misereatur were performed by Simon Preston's Christ Church Oxford choir.

RJ

I ddn't catch CotW today, but I did yesterday. I only hope that the CCO under Preston that you caught managed a better job of singing Purcell than did the one under Darlington that I heard when they attempted Hear me O Lord.

[Mr Stoat]

The regular omission of Gloria Patri after psalms, but singing it after the last one of the day's group, was a feature at the Temple Church under Thalben Ball. Indeed, a feature was that the Gloria Patri was sung to a specially composed setting rather than to a chant. I have no idea if this tradition continues there.......? When I had a "High Anglican" DOM post some years ago, GP was always omitted from the Psalms and canticles on Good Friday.