CE Chapel of King's College, Cambridge [archive] Wed, 23rd Oct

[Miles Coverdale]

Not necessarily, no. At Christ Church the period is covered by a combination of men's voices, visiting choirs and the college choir. I'm pretty sure the boys at Magdalen get a half-term. Christ Church is a bit different to other Oxbridge choirs in that it sings cathedral terms, which are rather longer than college terms.

[Vile Consort]

The service list for Kings is showing the usual pattern throughout the next two weeks - viz. service sung by Kings Voices on Mondays, and by men only on Fridays.

Looks like the boys at John's are having the week after next off - services sung either by men or another choir.

[Wolsey]

Regular webcasts have started this term.

[DracoM]

And the sound is SO much richer and immediate than anything the BBC do. Fine balance, even with a treble soloist in the Stanford in G. Many thanks for this heads up.

I am a bit disappointed that the bright promise of frequent webcasts from Truro seem to have withered on the vine. A few appeared early on in 2012 and were fine, but more recent ones far less frequent. Pity. And i DO wish Hereford would do webcasts. Hey ho. The closer the BBC tiptoe towards axing CE or making it availabel only in recorded form, the more these webcasts become valuable.

[AuntyKezia]

And speaking of Hereford, today's Sunday worship (R4) was broadcast live from there.

[ardcarp]

Yes, and the BBC engineers made a right cock-up of it. The choir was singing down the end of a long tunnel, and to begin with the Dean had the clarity of a railway announcement. There was obviously much scurrying round with mikes and swooping up and down of sound levels. I think someone at the far end of the nave with an i-phone could have done a better job. The singing was ok as far as I could tell (inc. O Nata Lux and My Soul).

[Roger Judd]

Yes - it was dreadful from an engineering point-of-view - the whole BBC sound team should be sent on a refresher course; it was way below standard. Once the aural fog was penetrated it was a well put together service, I thought. Michael Tavinor (the Dean) and the un-named lady speaker came across excellently, both in what they said and how they said it. Despite the 'scurrying around' the engineers never did get the choir balance right, and whilst both the Tallis and Parry anthems seemed to be directed sensitively (as you'd expect from Geraint Bowen), it was difficult to judge accurately what the choir was doing. Very disappointing for the Hereford team - a poor reward for a 7am start! - and a disgrace for the BBC team.
RJ

[DracoM]

Crikey! Are you ever right! If I were Geraint Bowen or Rev M Tavinor, I'd demand a recount and that the service be scrubbed from the archives. What on EARTH were the BBC Engineers doing? One minute booming in the ear, the next time they all seemed to be somewhere out on Long Mynd and shouting to be heard. What a total and dreadful cock-up, as you so rightly say! Tallis lovely. Maybe it was all recorded separately and then shoved together? Or was it live?

[Roger Judd]

It was very live.
RJ

[DracoM]

Well, if it was 'live', someone's head needs to roll. It was truly dreadful. Maybe the interns who did the engineering had never seen the inside of a cathedral before? The dignity with which the performers carried on was fine, but they will be so disappointed when they hear the recording.

[DracoM]

Reminder: recorded archive service is at 3.30 p.m. this afternoon.

[Petrushka]

September 11 1981 was a Friday. Was CE broadcast live in those days?

[mangerton]

September 11 1981 was a Friday. Was CE broadcast live in those days?

Yes. AFAIR, at that time CE was broadcast live twice a week, Wednesdays and Fridays.

[mopsus]

Yes. AFAIR, at that time CE was broadcast live twice a week, Wednesdays and Fridays.

By the mid-80s when I started listening, I think the Friday broadcast was usually recorded, though possibly with psalms and readings for the day of the broadcast rather than the day of recording. Choirs used to do a live broadcast on a Wednesday and record another service while the engineers were there, for later broadcast on a Friday.

I am a little sorry to see ps.56 for the expected ps. 59. The King's psalter sets the latter to a dramatic chant by South which I have never heard anywhere else.

[EnzoElgar]

Well, if it was 'live', someone's head needs to roll. It was truly dreadful. Maybe the interns who did the engineering had never seen the inside of a cathedral before? The dignity with which the performers carried on was fine, but they will be so disappointed when they hear the recording.

I believe the problem in Hereford on Sunday was caused by a very rare occasion of the computer on the digital sound-desk crashing immediately before broadcast. The eminently capable, very experienced and, fortunately, very calm sound engineer was not only able to keep the broadcast on air but was able to reboot the computer during the first hymn so that the remainder of the broadcast was unaffected.