What are the worst canticles?

[Guest]

There are some pretty shocking ones out there. What do all you think?

[Triforium]

Barnby

[ardcarp]

I dimly remember a set by someone called Bunnett [?] which were like a bad O-level harmony exercise. At risk of offending the diehard lovers of the Anglican canon, I could live without Wesley in E.

[secret squirrel]

Over Wesley in F ??!!

Arnold in A, for me.

[ardcarp]

Over Wesley in F ??!!

I'd erased those from my memory.

[Vile Consort]

The morning ones by William Herschel don't look to be up to much. I've never heard them, but I have read the manuscript.

[DracoM]

What do you mean by 'worst'?

[ilikewillis]

Well, the ones that might make you leave a service if you saw them on the music list. Or at least groan inwardly.

[Alison]

Philip Moore wrote some uninspiring ones but I am sure there are worse.

[Op. XXXIX]

Would hardly expect many to agree, but I could happily give Rubbra in Ab a miss. (Which is not to imply that I think it poorly written.)

[Magnificat]

Rubbra in A Flat is not on of my favourites either.

Philip Moore's setting on plainsong tones for boys' voices definitely is Alison.

I'll offer Lang in C. Too jolly hockeysticks for me.

VCC

[decantor]

I think I'd have to nominate John E. West (SATB in Eb, IIRC). But I do so with some regret - they gave us a jolly good laugh while rehearsing them 30 years ago!

If this poll were running an AV system, I'd dump Wesley long before Rubbra.

[Simon]

I remember one set a few years ago that astounded me with their grotesque unpleasantness. I think it was a broadcast from somewhere in London (forgive me if that is erroneous). I recall making an unashamedly strongly-worded post against them - and also that nobody really disagreed. I'm glad to say that I haven't a clue who wrote them: I expect they (the Canticles that is) will have vanished into the mists, never to be heard again. But why they were broadcast in the first place is indeed a mystery.

[DracoM]

Maybe something from one of the jazz / blues based services?

[ardcarp]

I thought I'd posted leaping to the defence of Rubbra in A flat. Obviously I didn't press the right button. But they are IMHO a fantastic set of canticles, extremely well written and nicely out of the Anglican groove. On the subject of which, how about some suggestions for favourite canticle settings...not just our tried and tested ones but ones which are a little unusual. I'd nominate Magnificats by Giles Swayne (OK, quite well-known) and Rupert Jeffcoat. The latter is based in a most original way on the plainsong tune with delicious bloops of organ colour. Ought to be better-known, IMO. Any other suggestions...or should we start a new thread?

PS I enjoyed those Joubert canticles from Bath a couple of weeks ago.