Hereford Cathedral Choir featured on In Tune

[Magnificat]

You may well be right but pieces of music have their own particular difficulties in terms of the singing techniques required tp perform them really well.

Andrew Lucas has been one of the very best choirtrainers around in our cathedrals for many years now and as far as I am aware has never attempted Eton Choir Book stuff at St Albans yet he has had many exceptionally talented boys in his choirs in his time at the Abbey. I must assume that he knows what they are capable of doing within the constraints in which the choir has to work.

His men ,however, are definitely capable of performing this music all being very skilled and experienced singers.

VCC

VCC.

[Miles Coverdale]

You may well be right but pieces of music have their own particular difficulties in terms of the singing techniques required tp perform them really well.

Andrew Lucas has been one of the very best choirtrainers around in our cathedrals for many years now and as far as I am aware has never attempted Eton Choir Book stuff at St Albans yet he has had many exceptionally talented boys in his choirs in his time at the Abbey. I must assume that he knows what they are capable of doing within the constraints in which the choir has to work.

His men ,however, are definitely capable of performing this music all being very skilled and experienced singers.

VCC

VCC.

Perhaps you are missing my point. It may just be that he prefers to do Take him, earth, for cherishing or the VW over Eton Choirbook, not that they would be incapable of doing it. After all, one cannot do everything, and choices must be made, and that is his choice.

[Magnificat]

Yes,that may well be the case although Andrew does much more early stuff than ever BR did - he definitely preferred later pieces especially Victorian/Edwardian although he loved Purcell.

I stil feel, however, that Eton Choir Book pieces are particularly difficult for boys and that this above anything else is why our cathedral choirs do not often attempt them.
It is a shame that they have been taken over by he very polished professional adult groups but there we are. Again Bravo Hereford.

VCC

[decantor]

Let me point out again that an all-male choir - Christ Church, Oxford - has already produced an Eton Choirbook CD that includes the Browne Stabat. It does seem to me that the Oxbridge college choirs are better placed than the cathedral choirs for such rehearsal-intensive enterprises, since their boys' terms are longer than the university terms. Furthermore, the Choirbook pieces are generally long and elaborate, and might not sit easily in the current liturgical repertoire. (All the more credit to Hereford!)

I believe there are 60-odd works in the Choirbook. Does anyone know for how many there are performing editions?

[bach736]

This any help?

http://www.stainer.co.uk/images/pdf/ask016.pdf

[decantor]

This any help? http://www.stainer.co.uk/images/pdf/ask016.pdf

Just the job - many thanks.