St Thomas Fifth Ave NYC

[DracoM]

Thursday, 24th 10.30 p.m. GMT
LIVE
Howells / Coll REg
Bullock / Give me the wings of faith

If members are interested I can post the St T programme regularly. Their webcasts are free and excellently balanced. Live service as it happens.

[decantor]

I find their live webcasts occur at times inconvenient for me, and therefore always look to the recorded version. However, the latest web interface is, in my view, less user-friendly than its predecessor as it involves constantly dodging to and fro between pages.

If you are prepared, Draco, to give us a weekly summary of the basic music lists (perhaps just Introit-Service-Anthem) currently available, I for one would be most grateful (as I am for your CE listing). However, I fear this may require more work on your part than you envisage: the St T presentation is not conducive to simple copy and paste.

There is another way in which I think STNYC misses a trick. In the old days, I used to make a (very modest) donation occasionally in gratitude for such excellent music gratis. That has now become impossible: I exchanged emails with the good lady in charge of such things at the church, and even she could find no simple way for a Brit to donate casually on a whim. Now, it seems, only a pledge or stock options will do. Why don't they just open a Paypal account? They surely deserve some recognition for sharing their choir (and Fr Meade's sermons??!!) with the world.

[DracoM]

Will do my best on cut paste etc.

I certainly agree about the change in their page format. Very odd decision.

Hadn't realised that about donations. I sometimes do pledge if I can afford to, but haven't done a one off donation. Worth getting in touch with Fr Meade over it direct? He welcomes the webcast congregation every service, so maybe some appeal might help?

It's Fr Austin's homilies for me..........

And I love the applause after particularly rousing voluntaries.

[Keraulophone]

And I love the applause after particularly rousing voluntaries.

Our Dean (now Emeritus) expressly forbade this public display of gratitude to the organist when it seemed to be becoming habitual adulation, reminding the congregation that they were at Divine Service, of which the voluntary was an integral part, and not at a concert.

Two Deans later, the applause has gradually returned, particularly after Sunday morning Eucharist, but with a greater degree of discrimination. Of course, a voluntary that may begin loudly, or contain a rousing (Howellsian) central section but ends softly, never receives applause, despite its having just received an admirable rendition.

BTW, a beautifully sung service from St Thomas, NYC yesterday. Thanks for the tip-off, Draco. Scotty is clearly continuing to deliver his magic. Plenty of time and space to allow the music to glow, though thankfully less than he had to contend with at St Paul's. Webcast balance generally well judged, though fine trebles occasionally swamping the back rows: unlikely in situ, I'd have thought. The wailing (NYPD ?) siren at the beginning of the Sanctus located the event authentically... a bit like our seagulls!

[DracoM]

And baby yowling at the offertory etc?? Even Fr Meade slightly held up!

[DracoM]

As promised:

As in UK, it is half term, so the boys are away.
BUT
the plainchant psalm singing of the St T Men is exemplary IMO, and there is quiet, dignity and repose at the cnetre of their expert services.

SUNDAY 11:00 CHORAL EUCHARIST sung by The Gentlemen of The Choir
27 February
Service: Missa Ancor che col partire - de Monte
Epiphany 8 Psalm: 131
Anthems: O quam suavis - Byrd
Hear the voice and prayer - Tallis

4:00 CHORAL EVENSONG sung by The Gentlemen of The Choir
Responses: Harris
Psalm: 146 Service:
Canticles: E.W. Naylor in D
Anthem: Seek Him that maketh the seven stars - Elgar

[DracoM]

As promised - an occasional selection form their upcoming services:

SUNDAY 11:00 CHORAL EUCHARIST20 March
Service: Messa da capella (1651) - Monteverdi
Lent 2 Psalm: 121
1 Anthems: Domine, exaudi orationem meam (à 10) - G. Gabrieli
2. Christe, adoramus te - Monteverdi

4:00 CHORAL EVENSONG
Responses: Ebdon
Psalm: 4
Service: The Second Service - Gibbons
Anthem: O Lord in thy wrath - Gibbons

Incidentally, the Ash Wednesday service - inc Allegri Mis and a terriifc performance of Emendemus in melius - is available from their website on request.
And other of their services to date are available pretty well from the start of term until now.

[ardcarp]

Our Dean (now Emeritus) expressly forbade this public display of gratitude to the organist when it seemed to be becoming habitual adulation, reminding the congregation that they were at Divine Service

Anyone know how long ago it became OK to clap the voluntary? The only time it happened to me was after a wedding. The couple (musicians) had asked for the Mulet Carillon Sortie afterwards. I hadn't played it (or indeed the organ) for ages, so did a hurried resurrection job on the basis that after the first couple of pages everyone would have fled the church. So on page 4 I threw caution to the winds and just went for it....until a glance in the mirror showed a still full church. The *******s had instructed the cong to stay for the voluntary. I think the round of applause was for effort rather than achievement.

[bach736]

You may like to know that the Memorial Service for George Shearing is a live webcast this evening (Wednesday 23rd March) at 2110 hrs GMT.

[bach736]

'George Shearing Memorial Service' update.

This is now available online at:

http://www.saintthomaschurch.org/calendar/2011/03/23/global/memorial-for-sir-george-shearing/

Some half decent Faure, a beautiful Psalm 23 to Hylton Stewart, the entire 20' Shearing sequence on American hymn tunes plus 'Lullaby of Birdland' and the best BWV 572 I have ever heard. Despite being destined for the scrap heap, the St Thomas organ sounds magnificent. A witty and moving tribute to the great jazzman from Rector Andrew Mead in the church where he worshipped.

Well worth a listen.

[DracoM]

And a daringly slow Faure 'In Paradisum' pretty well sung.

What did you think of the Bach BWV 572 Fantasia?

Deffo well worth a listen.

[DracoM]

BTW, please note that NYC winter time shift has ended, such that NYC 5.30 p.m. is actually 4.30 to calculate your five hour time lag.
Hence UK time St T Evensongs start at 9.30 p.m. live, and not 10.30

[bach736]

[QUOTE=DracoM;What did you think of the Bach BWV 572 Fantasia?[/QUOTE]

I thought it outstanding. The precision, articulation, phrasing and registration transformed it for me. The inter-related structure of the movements shone through and the third section achieved an almost ethereal quality that took it to a new level. It was like hearing it for the first time. A fitting end in every way.

[DracoM]

Absolutely agree. Fleet fingered but architectural. Gripping.

[DracoM]

Sunday, 27th March
Evensong at St T NYC
Howells Gloucester Service / Like as the hart.

Don't forget NYC time is now an hour earlier than on the schedule on their website, BUT where the heck it is when OUR clocks change.......back to 5.30 their time again?