Easter from King's.

[Wolsey]

Why on earth did they have an organ playing underneath Lotti's Crucifixus?

Because, as John Rutter notes in his edition of the work, Lotti wrote a figured bass part for it, and organ accompaniment would have been expected. Moreover, it comes from a Credo in F - itself part of a larger mass (Missa Sancti Christophori) for strings and continuo. Both Rutter's and Ben Byram-Wigfield's modern editions of Lotti's Crucifixus have a keyboard realisation of Lotti's figured bass.

[Magnificat]

So much cynicism over this broadcast - and I shared it all. I recorded it because I could not be bothered to watch it live; I watched it reluctantly, with my finger hovering over the fast-forward button, as I could not believe it had anything to say.

Wrong. Wrong, even though I resented the conventional hymns, and the camera's stylised hovering over glass and stone. There was music here that resonated with the season: wonderful music presented by beery students owing nothing to conservatoires, and by children dragged from rugby and Xboxes and home; music that reminded us what music is for. The readings were appropriate in the strictest sense - the Updike text, far from being a concession to American audiences, struck at the heart of the matter: the resurrection must be no secular metaphor.

I thought I would fast-forward, but now I hesitate to delete. Like others, I would welcome TV Easter celebrations from less starry foundations, but King's did do this presentation extraordinarily well.

Dacantor,

Agree with you absolutely. Lovely polished singing.

I could have listened to them all day long,

VCC

[Philip]

Because, as John Rutter notes in his edition of the work, Lotti wrote a figured bass part for it, and organ accompaniment would have been expected. Moreover, it comes from a Credo in F - itself part of a larger mass (Missa Sancti Christophori) for strings and continuo. Both Rutter's and Ben Byram-Wigfield's modern editions of Lotti's Crucifixus have a keyboard realisation of Lotti's figured bass.

Fair enough - I didn't know such a thing existed but I've never heard it like this before (either live or in a recording). There is a YouTube of the Cambridge Singers (directed by Rutter) singing it unaccompanied. I think the voice parts don't need it.

[Wolsey]

The YouTube upload appears to come from the choir's 1995 CD Images of Christ, and just pre-dates Rutter's edition which, together with Byram-Wigfield's, contain significant differences to what's heard in that recording. As for the voice parts not needing the organ, the basso continuo plays a B natural in bar 4 beneath the voices, creating a scrunchy diminished seventh chord. The organ/basso continuo is needed alright, and that's how Lotti intended it to be performed, even if so many are used to hearing the Crucifixus taken out of context and sung unaccompanied.

[Curalach]

I have been out of touch for a few days so this is my first opportunity thank Ferney and Cali for their good wishes.
It was indeed my first visit to Kings College Chapel and as I was there for both the rehearsal and the service, (nearly wrote performance!), I had ample opportunity to gaze at the ceiling and the windows which were at their best in early sunlight. I was quite blown away by the building.

The service was a Sung Eucharist with Procession. This was another first for me as I had never been to a CoE service before. The choir was accompanied by the organ for the hymns and by a 12 piece orchestra for the Schubert Mass in G D167 which formed the backbone of the service. I enjoyed every minute of it.

My host for the weekend was playing in the orchestra and he introduced me to Stephen Cleobury who was about to go off to Chicago with the choir on a US tour which includes Philadelphia among other prestigious engagements.

Apart from the fact that the weather was, if anything, colder than the West of Scotland, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Cambridgeshire.

[ardcarp]

That roof

It isn't 'a roof' ! Roofs (not rooves, except in Tolkien) are what keep the weather out. We are talking vaults here. As Keraulophone says, there are many other examples of fan-vaulting, a peculiarly English flowering of the late Gothic. However Kings' vault is rather special. If the 'fans' are complete semi-circles, there has to be a large area to be filled in where they touch. The Kings' fans are actually truncated, i.e. not complete semi-circles. This means you can get more fans with less fill-in. But the genius of the architect is that the eye does perceive complete semi-circles...loads of them; a most glorious effect.

[Nick Armstrong]

It isn't 'a roof' ! Roofs (not rooves, except in Tolkien) are what keep the weather out. We are talking vaults here. As Keraulophone says, there are many other examples of fan-vaulting, a peculiarly English flowering of the late Gothic. However Kings' vault is rather special. If the 'fans' are complete semi-circles, there has to be a large area to be filled in where they touch. The Kings' fans are actually truncated, i.e. not complete semi-circles. This means you can get more fans with less fill-in. But the genius of the architect is that the eye does perceive complete semi-circles...loads of them; a most glorious effect.

True, o wise one.

[Magnificat]

It isn't 'a roof' ! Roofs (not rooves, except in Tolkien).

ardcarp,

This comment brings back memories.

I remember being taken to task by my English teacher for using rooves in a grammar school essay in the early 1960s. Lots of red ink saying that it is technically correct but, even then, antiquated usage or words to that effect. I never really understood why it should matter or why he needed to make such a fuss about it as we still used and still use hooves apropos horses etc.

VCC

[ardcarp]

Oh the sublime pedantry of the (now largely extinct) eccentric pedagogue!

[mercia]

However Kings' vault is rather special. If the 'fans' are complete semi-circles, there has to be a large area to be filled in where they touch. The Kings' fans are actually truncated, i.e. not complete semi-circles. This means you can get more fans with less fill-in. But the genius of the architect is that the eye does perceive complete semi-circles...loads of them; a most glorious effect.

That's very interesting. Isn't Bath Abbey identical to King's in that respect? I notice William Vertue (Bath) advised John Wastell (King's).

[ardcarp]

You are right...Bath Abbey does the same. I had no idea which came first!

[Wolsey]

You are right...Bath Abbey does the same. I had no idea which came first!

Bath Abbey's chancel and transept fan-vaulting (1499) indeed predates King's (1512-15). Bath's nave fan-vaulting is Victorian.

[ardcarp]

...and Eton College Chapel's fan vaulting dates from the 20th century and is made from moulded concrete. Quite convincing tho' .