Weds 6th March - Magdalen College, Oxford

[Anna]

Another little ray of sunshine on 'The Choir' board...

Well, I can be a little ray of sunshine! I decided not to watch the second half of England v Italy because I was so keen to listen to the repeat of the wonder Buxtehude CE via the satellite (for the sound quality) and, I think my decision was more than justified! It takes a lot for a CE to override my passion for rugby.

[Nick Armstrong]

Well, I can be a little ray of sunshine! I decided not to watch the second half of England v Italy because I was so keen to listen to the repeat of the wonder Buxtehude CE via the satellite (for the sound quality) and, I think my decision was more than justified! It takes a lot for a CE to override my passion for rugby.

[decantor]

......... It takes a lot for a CE to override my passion for rugby.

But if England had got it together? Gone on the rampage, running in wingers' tries all over? Still CE gets the nod?

Actually, I thought Magdalen did even better at this second attempt than on the first. There was more exuberance in the singing, Trebles 1 & 2 had interestingly different timbres, the alto soloist gained in power and assurance, the Ts & Bs strained less for effect, even the engineering upped its game....... well, I enjoyed it more this time round, anyway. Obviously DH's half-time pep talk had the desired effect.

(Memo: I must learn how to add emoticons!)

[Old Grumpy]

Much enjoying the Buxtehude on iplayer, particularly with the liturgical contextualisation.

Actually, Anna, ardcarp and I are both fairly regularly in touch off-board with DoMs, who are usually and quite understandably a bit chary of coming on here.

Actually, Draco - shouldn't that be DsoM?

OG

[ardcarp]

(Memo: I must learn how to add emoticons!)

Decantor

Caliban's your man for a tutorial. He doesn't just settle for the bog-standard ones as supplied courtesy of The Forum. He can do animated.

[bach736]

Actually, I thought Magdalen did even better at this second attempt than on the first. There was more exuberance in the singing, Trebles 1 & 2 had interestingly different timbres, the alto soloist gained in power and assurance, the Ts & Bs strained less for effect, even the engineering upped its game.......

Am I missing something here?

[Simon]

I'm usually someone who prefers the standard evensong. That's a personal preference, to which I am entitled.

But as I recall saying not so long ago, after another departure from the norm, when one gets to hear music of this quality sung to such an exemplary degree of competence, all one's preferences fly out of the window and one simply revels in the splendour. All at Magdalen should, in my view, be congratulated for providing us with such a delightful service, performance, devotion - the noun hardly matters.

And as I'm another whose familiarity with Buxtehude rests mainly with his organ music, this was therefore a wonderful educational experience as well.

bws to all

S-S!

[Roger Judd]

I think that we have been privileged to hear something very remarkable in recent days. The concert of French music presented by New College Oxford, stylistically informed performances, given with complete assurance, grace and musicality, followed a couple of days later by their neighbours at Magdalen performing Buxtehude's Membra Jesu nostri in the context of a Lenten meditation. The Dean's words, thoughtful and insightful, perfectly matched the music, and the musicians, as with NCO, sounded totally committed to Buxtehude, and sang and played with passion, skill and devotion.
IMO a quite remarkable pair of broadcasts. Massive credit to Edward Higginbottom, Dan Hyde and their musicians.
RJ

[mopsus]

Actually, Anna, ardcarp and I are both fairly regularly in touch off-board with DoMs, who are usually and quite understandably a bit chary of coming on here.

I have the impression that quite a few broadcasting choirs monitor this forum, so that if anything incorrect or disparaging gets posted about them, it is quickly corrected. They lurk the rest of the time.

[DracoM]

Dead right.
Contacts from interested parties on and off-board are plenty.