Since Regent Square was written by Henry Smart a former organist at Blackburn (before it was a cathedral) it seems reasonable to me to use the tune.
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I liked the sound of the organ, very raspy-reedy. Did we hear the serpent or imperial trumpet ?
Last edited by mercia; 17-10-13, 06:20.Comment
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ardcarp,Originally posted by ardcarp View Post
I looked at this site the other day to find out which forces would be singing the service as this is one of the first broadcasts from the most recent DoM appointments.
Once again, as with Wakefield, we have mixed boys and girls. The singing was very competent but I am just so disappointed that a new cathedral DoM who has been in post for two years is apparently not confident enough to broadcast his boys and men. Blackburn always used to under Richard Tanner although I think his last broadcast was mixed voices.
There is another broadcast under a newly appointed DoM coming up from Norwich and it will be interesting to see what we get from him
VCCComment
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Liked the Palestrina- pretty slow, but decent tone, and the Rubbra - testing and disciplined. Interesting sustained tone by front line, bit wafty on the back rows.
Sound a bit odd, maybe? Solo tenor sounded as if he was in Burnley. BUT Blackburn has a very tricky acoustic to capture to get focus from.
Agree with ardcarp - organ very 'serpent' like.
Interesting that the website suggests that the cathedral choir singing most services was a boys/men ensemble. Hmm.Comment
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I believe it is true that the boy & men sing almost every Sunday, although I hear numbers are greatly down in the boys. Why, oh why do DoM's mix their choirs - surely that only undermines both the boys & girls contribution to services. Depressing. Super balanced organ accompanying in the hymns though.Comment
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Surprised no mention (so far) of the Whitlock Toccata, long a favourite of mine. It topped off a service I most enjoyed!
Fair enough. Modified rapture with 'Regent Square', I we Get Smart (wow, apologies for '60's reference) would prefer 'Everton'.Originally posted by chitreb View Post
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I've listened to it all now. One of my favourite Psalms/chants! If one had listened with an innocent ear, one might have thought it to be an archive recording from 30 years ago...and this is meant as a compliment, not a criticism. It was a gentle sound, well blended, with undemonstrative ATB; rather the antithesis of WCC in fact! The service had a devotional feel and was obviously well-prepared. If I had to make any comment, maybe the Rubbra Mag needed to be a bit more 'gritty', but the Nunc was to the manner born, as indeed was the Sumsion. Interesting that the latter was commissioned by Repton Prep School which must have sported a pretty decent choir in years gone by.Comment
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Gentle reminder that the repeat is now at 3 p.m. on Sundays.Comment
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[QUOTE=Magnificat;342786]ardcarp,
I looked at this site the other day to find out which forces would be singing the service as this is one of the first broadcasts from the most recent DoM appointments.
"Once again, as with Wakefield, we have mixed boys and girls. "
No mixing of boys and girls voices at Wakey, just girls voicesComment
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[QUOTE=NTR;343967]NTROriginally posted by Magnificat View Post
Wouldn't it be encouraging for the tradition though if a new DoM of a cathedral with both boys and girls on his/her first broadcast CE came straight in with a really competent choir of boys and men.
In my view if he/she has been in post for two years he/she should be able to do so if he/she is on top of his/her job. Any half capable choir trainer can produce a decent choir of older girls. Boys really sort the wheat from the chaff.
Recruitment of boys is always wheeled out as being the main problem but in the Church Times this week mention is made on the letters page of a parish church choir with thirty boys singing twice on a Sunday so it can be done.
Even allowing for the extra commitment required you are lucky these days to find even half that number including probationers in a cathedral choir.
Why can't cathedral choirmasters recruit? Are they really trying or have they just given up and content to rely on the girls to keep their empires standing?
VCC.Comment
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Is there really anything left to say on this subject?
Perhaps the admins should consider having a "dead horses" section (like Ship of Fools) where persistent but ultimately irresolvable discussions like this can go, and hence be banned from elsewhere.Comment
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What a good idea.Comment
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Well, I don't object to Magnificat/VCC's making his views known. I don't necessarily agree with them, and I think the girls at Wakefield did a great job. He does have a point though. Boys need to sing, and there needs to be a critical mass of them for it not to be seen as uncool. And we also need future ATBs. Those with a chorister background come with so much more experience and technique. But on the wider issue, I don't see we need to 'block' anyone's views (unless they are grossly offensive). We all know VCC's angle. If we don't like it, we don't have to read it!Comment
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Adcarp - that's why I suggest having somewhere else to discuss it rather than banning the topic (or the contributor) outright.
He does have a point and in fact I have a lot of sympathy for it but, to misquote Alan Bennett in Beyond the Fringe, I do think he has made his point rather well.Comment
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