CE Westminster Abbey Wed, 2nd October 2013

[DracoM]

CE Westminster Abbey



Order of Service:


Introit: Holy is the true light (Gabriel Jackson)
Responses: Leighton
Psalms: 19 (Hopkins)
First Lesson: Hosea 14
Canticles: The 'Great' Service (Parry)
Second Lesson: James 2: 14-26
Anthem: Give unto the Lord (Elgar)
Hymn: Let all the world in every corner sing (Luckington)



Organ Voluntary: Fantasia Op.136 (Bowen)



Daniel Cook (Sub Organist)
James O'Donnell (Organist and Master of the Choristers)

[ardcarp]

I don't know the voluntary. Is 'Bowen' the York Bowen of piano fame? If so it will probably have a lot of notes in it!

[DracoM]

It is indeed York Bowen.

[DracoM]

Reminder: today @ 3.30 p.m

[decantor]

I don't know the voluntary. Is 'Bowen' the York Bowen of piano fame? If so it will probably have a lot of notes in it!

Well, Fantasias often contain a lot of notes, but in general York Bowen writes very idiomatically for the organ (as you once pointed out yourself, IIRC!).

[DracoM]

I'm puzzled.

Much of the way through that service, what kept nagging at me was a sense that something was wrong with tuning, particularly but not exclusively the trebles. Some of them seemed ever-so-slightly off in a number of the big and indeed in some of the not so big moments, and the tone of one or two 'leaders' hardened notably in their laudable efforts to keep their fellows driving on especially when going flat out.

Now whether they were striving like fury against the at times to my ears stentorian basses, or the mighty organ, or that because there were some treb solos scheduled the mics had had to be just a tad too close, I know not. It just felt edgy, 'in yer face' throughout. In their defence, it's early in the term to be doing live so exhausting and massive a sing as that with practically no respite - very big Parry canticles, even bigger Elgar, against joyously thundering organ much of the time.

You've probably already guessed that I'm not fond of that kind of loud, imperial, even imperative style of music, so just pass by on the other side!

I so wish they could have been the same choir we heard sensitively singing the Jackson introit, but I do understand that after that, of course, they had to put on very different hats.

And the Bowen certainly did have 'an awful lot of notes!'

[ardcarp]

I have to say, Draco, those are my thoughts exactly. This sort of choir where the trebles really have to push to cut the mustard doesn't often produce the pleasantest sound. There was indeed a hardening of tone and in their valiant and stalwart efforts (which I applaud) there was some occasional wild stabbing at the higher notes. Oh well, the Wabbey choir is what it is. It was a big sing. I would like to hear them do some gentler stuff with the back rows throttling back a bit. There were moments this pm.

[Magnificat]

I have to say, Draco, those are my thoughts exactly. This sort of choir where the trebles really have to push to cut the mustard doesn't often produce the pleasantest sound. There was indeed a hardening of tone and in their valiant and stalwart efforts (which I applaud) there was some occasional wild stabbing at the higher notes. Oh well, the Wabbey choir is what it is. It was a big sing. I would like to hear them do some gentler stuff with the back rows throttling back a bit. There were moments this pm.

ardcarp/Draco

There was a lot of coughing going on in the background so perhaps some of the choir have gone down with a virus or something as is often the case just after the start of the school year. There was definitely something going wrong with the singing at times they were all over the place.

VCC

[chitreb]

The highlight for me was the Gabriel Jackson Introit. Serene.

After that it was rather mixed, as noted above. A "massive sing" (DracoM) that could perhaps have been helped by a little more sensitivity.

[DracoM]

Adult coughing, I think. We had ditto behind the opening PR announcement from Wakefield last week as well.

[DracoM]

Repeat on Sunday, 6th Oct @ 3 p.m.