CE York Minster Wed, 26th June 2013

[DracoM]

CE York Minster



Order of Service:



Introit: Os justi meditabitur (Bruckner)
Responses: Gibbons and Barnard
Psalm 119: 145-176 (Parratt, Cook, Gauntlett, Martin)
First Lesson: Isaiah 24: 1-15
Canticles: Octavi toni (Tallis)
Second Lesson: 1 Corinthians 6: 1 - 11
Anthem: Great is the Lord (Elgar)
Hymn: From the beginning, God's most holy Word (Godmanchester)



Organ Voluntary: Dance (Huw Morgan)


David Pipe (Assistant Director of Music
Robert Sharpe (Director of Music)

[DracoM]

Reminder: tomorrow @ 3 30 p.m.

[DracoM]

Huge sing - Bruckner motet, big Tallis canticles, an even bigger Elgar, plus psalms and responses and a hymn. I suppose for a well-organised choir like York, plus ca change...? Shrug and move on to the next big sing?

Routine it wasn't, though. Very slightly tentative start to the Bruckner, but it opened out into some lovely textures, and that final few bars is always ear catching in a low key way. Psalm was robust and moved forward, and the Tallis canticles were sung at some pace, with great energy and confidence, including some nicely discreet plain chant. I'm not an Elgar choral fan, but again this was done with manifest efficiency and drive, no flinching in any part. Final voluntary a delight.

My only reservation was the sound as it came over on radio: either the mics were very close to the tenors or they are a particularly insuppressible entity, or have a particular timbre, but now and again they came through like an exuberant buzzsaw, while the trebles on occasions seemed to be in another room but still singing their hearts out.

Mr Sharpe has over the last few years performed wonders with this choir, and they really are a unit to be reckoned with.

[ardcarp]

the Byrd canticles

The other one, wasn't it? Mind you I haven't listened yet, so stand to be correcetd!

[DracoM]

Got it right in the first line then didn't.
Been that kind of day.

[ardcarp]

Just listening now...in middle of Tallis Canticles. Draco, I share your puzzlement at the strange sound as it comes out of my headphones. The treble sound is as one might hear it in York Minster's acoustic, but the men sound almost individually miked, and I'm sure if I knew them personally I'd be able to say,"That's Bob, and that's Fred", etc. etc. When singing quietly (as in a few magical moments in the psalms) the blend is better, but I have to say there are a couple of voices there which are not 'covered'...thus your 'buzz-saw" effect.

Oh dear I am being picky. Just about to sit back and enjoy the Elgar. Anyone else hear the service, or has Wimbledon got the upper hand?

[mopsus]

Anyone else hear the service, or has Wimbledon got the upper hand?

I was a spectator at Court One yesterday but got the service on iPlayer. I think the hymn tune may have been by the precentor, Peter Moger, who used to be the parish priest at Godmanchester.

[Triforium]

I enjoyed this broadcast immensely. As Draco mentioned, a very big sing… The Bruckner, Tallis, Elgar, all requiring great stamina.

The Trebles acquitted themselves very well throughout with a rich and consistent sound. The entire choir presented an impressive confident sound.

Psalm was lovely, enjoyed the wind down in the Gloria, or wind up in the case of the Altos.

The Tallis is deceptively difficult at times, with more than a few funny turns and traps. It seemed to take a few bars to come up to running speed in the Mag. I realise it is a matter of personal taste, but I did not like the stately pacing of the plain chant. The polyphony moved along at a good clip, but as the Mag progressed, the discrepancy between the pacing of the polyphony and the chant bothered me more and more. Was there an overeager alto at the beginning of the Fecit? As Draco and Adcarp both noted, every now and then there is a tenor singing with too much chin – noticeably at the beginning of the Esurientes . Basses did well on that famous VS page turn at “et in saecula” and left no doubt they were going to be there.

The Nunc was lovely from start to finish, nice tenor incipit.

I liked the Elgar piece, again, a big sing, and done well here. Lovely tenor solo. Large sweeping lines required upon the reprise of the main theme.

Thanks to York for wonderful repertoire, and a very enjoyable service!

[BasilHarwood]

I liked the Elgar piece, again, a big sing, and done well here. Lovely tenor solo.

It's a bass solo, old chap. Not getting personal but I'd have preferred a meaty sound... Felt it was a tad under powered.

Overall a top-notch service, excellent in every respect. Lovely to hear the eminent Richard Shephard singing the responses.

Thank you York!

[chitreb]

Agree with most of the previous comments although I found the plainsong passages perfectly OK - to my taste they fitted in just fine. After listening to some fine singing I found the organ voluntary an absolute delight and the perfectly named ADOM played it to perfection.

[ardcarp]

Luckily the DOM is not aptly named.....

[Finzi4ever]

a great gig, sorry, service! Tremendous music from first to last, both pieces and performance. Peter Moger's hymn tune & Huw Morgan's voluntary both brilliant additions to the repertoire and in the best tradition, the former alongside Alexander Brent-Smith and Robert Gower, the latter Leighton & Messiaen even.

[Wolsey]

The Elgar was superb. Congratulations all.