CE King's College, Cambridge 1.v.13

[DracoM]

CE King's College, Cambridge
The Cambridge University Chamber Orchestra



Order of Service:



Introit: My beloved spake (Hadley)
Responses: Radcliffe
Psalm 149 (Alcock arr. S.Cleobury)
First Lesson: Job: 1-12
Canticles: Stanford in A
Second Lesson: John 1: 43-end
Anthem: Ascribe unto the Lord (S.S. Wesley)
Hymn: Thou art the Way (St James - descant: S.Cleobury)




Organ Voluntary: Finale from Variations on an Original Theme ('Enigma') (Elgar)



Parker Ramsay and Douglas Tang (Organ Scholars)
Stephen Cleobury (Director of Music)

[W.Kearns]

Does the presence of the University Chamber Orchestra mean that we will have Wesley's orchestrated version of 'Ascribe unto the Lord'?

[ardcarp]

WK. Very likely! I think the Stanford exists in orchestral version too. I cannot remember if My Beloved Spake has been orchestrated...it does rather lend itself to some orchestral colour. There was an extract from Hadley's Fen and Flood (orchestrated, I think, by Vauhan Williams) on the radio recently. It's just the tiniest bit naff! Rather Granville Bantock-ish in fact. Not so My Beloved, of course...a fine piece. And I wonder if what is listed as an organ voluntary really will be played on the organ or by the orchestra? The Enigma Finale needs a bit more than a 'chamber orchestra' but it seems bizarre they should be sitting there during an organ transcription.

All will be revealed.

Another somewhat trad. music list, I feel, but none the worse for that.

[Simon Biazeck]

I cannot remember if My Beloved Spake has been orchestrated...

Yes, there is an orchestration by Hadley. It has been recorded on ARGO by David Hill & Winchester Cathedral Choir.

[Chris Watson]

I love the Stanford orchestration of the A major service - lovely cello solo in the Nunc. There was a fantastic CE broadcast from (I think) Worcester during Three Choirs in the early 90s with Stanford in A and a couple of Elgar anthems with full orchestra that I listened to on my portable radio sitting in the sunshine atop Dover Castle. Happy memories!

[Wolsey]

The Stanford in A evening canticles, commissioned by Stainer for the 1880 Festival for the Sons of the Clergy, were originally conceived - and first performed - with orchestral accompaniment; Chris Watson rightly points out one of the many beautiful moments of orchestration to be heard in them. It is because of its orchestral conception that the organ accompaniment/transcription is one of the most elaborate, most technically demanding and most detailed in its registration. The recent CD release of sacred music by Stanford and Parry by the Choir of the King's Consort and The King's Consort brings a new perspective to these choral favourites - especially the harp 'spinning wheel' in Stanford in G.

[mopsus]

If I recall rightly the vocal copies of the Hadley have some indication of the orchestration marked against the organ part and/or a list of the orchestral forces required. There were a good many more incidental 'birds' around than one normally hears with just the organ accompaniment.

[Simon]

Another somewhat trad. music list, I feel, but none the worse for that.

"None the worse" for that? Surely, "all the better" for that?!

Wonderful to hear sublime music that one is familiar with. If I were ever fortunate enough to be able to choose one piece of music to hear as I died, I think it would be the Stanford in A Nunc.

[ardcarp]

It was an enterprising CE, and I enjoyed the orchestral colour very much...with the possible exception of the Wesley. I can't quite explain why. It's a staple of the repertoire which I suppose we all love, but to be frank, it's a slightly rambling piece and maybe doesn't quite deserve the full treatment. What did people think of the Cleobury psalm setting? I'm glad the 'organ' voluntary turned out to be the real thing. I always think of a 'chamber orchestra' as having 2fl, 2ob, 2cl, 2fag, 2hns, (maybe 4), 2tps and timps max. But we had trombones and percussion too, so the Elgar was do-able.

[Y Mab Afradlon]

S S Wesley orchestrations of Ascribe and The Wilderness are availible in Musica Britanica LXIII ed Peter Horton. Ascribe was orchestrated for the 1865 Three Choirs Festival at Gloucester. It's scored for 2fl, 2ob, 2cl, 2fag, 2 hrns in C, 2 hrns in F, Tpt in C, Tpt in D, Alt, Ten, Bass Tbs, Timp, Org, and strings. (The orchestrated version of the Wilderness written for the Birmingham Festival he had parts for 2 more trumpets, a serpant and ophicleide.)
King's sounded far more interested than they do in their Christmas and now annual Easter "money making" broadcasts which I feel do not show the choir in a good light. Perhaps a clean out of the late has had an effect. Not quite sure why the psalm had to be arranged in this way was it because they were in concert layout in front of the choir screen and traditional chanting may have been difficult or has Mr C decided to Rutterize arrangements of psalms for the overseas market?

[Philip]

Great stuff - the only bit I didn't 'get' was the psalm and like others I'm not sure why it was arranged in this way.

The Hadley, Stanford and Wesley items were all excellently done. The Wesley may be long but I love it; lots of choirs sing the final fugue ('The Lord hath been mindful') on its own but you miss so much great stuff in the previous 10 minutes if you do that.

Would I always want an orchestral accompaniment to Evensong? Probably not, but thats perhaps down to my prejudices as an organist as much as anything else! Something of the depth of power is lost from not having the organ I'd say, I'd just long to plant a 32' reed underneath the final chord of the Stanford! That said, we heard some fine orchestral colours this afternoon, so there are arguments both ways.

[chitreb]

I agree with YMA that the choir sounded "more interested" than in their TV broadcasts although there was a moment in the middle of the Wesley that didn't feel as tight as the rest of the service. I didn't particularly like the psalm. Good psalm singing to traditional Anglican Chant is a joy (except perhaps on the 15th) and doesn't need this sort of treatment from Mr C.

I thought the orchestra acquitted itself rather well although I did keep yearning for the organ accompaniment to the Stanford.

[ardcarp]

I wish it were a more frequent event for orchestral mass-settings to be used at the Eucharist, even if only on high days and holidays. There are so many; not just from Mozart and Haydn but by lesser lights (eg Biber, Zelenka), and provided the liturgy is kept tight and does not keep the players sitting around idly for hours it can be glorious. The trend to omit a sung Credo is a shame because this is usually the most musically meaty movement.

[ardcarp]

Sorry if my last post (dee dee dee, dah dee dah, dee dee dee dah) slightly changed the subject. There have only been six posts since the broadcast. Maybe the sunny afternoon was not conducive to listening. I must admit I had to drag myself inside.

John Rutter, in his guest presenting of The Choir, made the point that at Evensong time, a dozen Cambridge colleges are all doing their own thing. Wouldn't the 'orchestral broadcast' have been even more stunning had KCC been joined by John's and even Trinity, Clare and Caius? It would have really socked it to us. As it was, even with some clever engineering, the treble line was in danger of being swamped from time to time.

[Simon]

Having now heard it twice, I can only agree with all Philip's excellent points above.

I can't help wondering why just Psalm 149 on the 2nd evening, but no doubt there'll be some reason if I bothered to look for it. I regret that I didn't like the setting.

It's clear that KCC are still in the top dozen or so - so thanks to all involved for all the hard work putting together such an enjoyable service.