CE St John's Cambridge 9.3.11

[DracoM]

St J's Ash Wedenesday Service is now available as a webcast on the St J's Choir website.
Apparently, it is NOT the same set-up as that used by the BBC for the live broadcast, btw. Interesting?

[Alain Maréchal]

I have only now had the opportunity to listen to a recording of the Sunday repeat. Could anybody say in what way this was 'an edited repeat'?

[DracoM]

Is anyone else having trouble playing back the St J webcasts? Nothing works for me at all. Suddenly - very weird.

[DracoM]

Got round it.

Listening to the Allegri rathr tends to confirm the series of wobbles - BUT also shows up as ardcarp said the fine singing by the 2nd treble.

What does come out much better on the St J's webcast is the MacMillan commission. Much tighter, bigger presence of the sound altogether. Perhaps not quite as refined as BBC, but real ambience and excitment.

[Finzi4ever]

How long has their choir site been down and should we be worried about its future?

[Simon]

I've heard this now. A lovely service, and as I only hear Allegri once a year, generally, it doesn't pall for me.

Anthem by unanimous appraisal here was a work of genius - it has to be said as one expected he would manage, from his very first attempts at writing; let's hope he's got over the blips of a few years ago!

Many thanks as usual to all involved.

[sjcchoir]

How long has their choir site been down and should we be worried about its future?

Finzi4ever, in case you were worried, the website was down on Friday for a scheduled update and was back up and running on Saturday. This week's webcast will go live, as usual, at midday today - Vierne Messe Solenelle and Duruflé Ubi caritas.

No need to worry about the website's future. Indeed you may expect a substantial improvement around September time....keep an eye on the website and Facebook page for more up-to-date info. If there are any problems in future, there will be information on there as well. Hope this helps. Any other questions, do email to choir@joh.cam.ac.uk

[switchedon]

Kyrie from the Vierne Mass on the Johns site...Wow!

[mercia]

I like that photo of Vierne transcribing from braille

[Contre Bombarde]

Kyrie from the Vierne Mass on the Johns site...Wow!

Indeed, and not just the Kyrie. The whole Messe is beautifully performed, as is the Vierne II voluntary.

It was the Vierne Messe Solenelle that caused me to learn the organ rather than piano. I first heard it in Notre-Dame de Paris in 1980 when, as nobbut a lad, my parents took me to the city on holiday. Pierre Cochereau was playing the Grand-Orgue and I shall never, ever forget the impression that he made upon me, as did his peerless improvisations throughout and after the service.

I little thought at the time that I would later spend four post-grad years in that same city following, however modestly, in his footsteps.
I have heard and played the Vierne Messe many times since that first encounter but never without a tear appearing in the corner of an eye as I remember PC's life-long influence on me. If it hadn't been for his brilliance and the effect on me of the Vierne I would not have met, in a café in the square by St Sulpice, the lady who is now my wife, nor would I have such a great life in the field of church music.

[french frank]

Lovely memories, Contre Bombarde. Thank you (I'd never have known you were an organist yourself ). And thanks to sjcchoir for the update.

[mercia]

I would later spend four post-grad years in that same city following, however modestly, in his footsteps.

did that involve a lot of improvising? I believe it is a particular skill required in the continental liturgy

[Contre Bombarde]

Yes. Improvisation is an integral part of the RC liturgy in France (and of course in some UK churches) and is a skill that provides a cohesive musical bond to the Solemn Mass. Some French church organs have a system of green, orange and red lights operated by the clergy to keep the organist informed of how much longer a particular improvisation should have to run.

French organ students spend, I would say, a lot more time learning improvisational skills than is usually the case in the UK where repertoire may take an upper hand. That is not to say that there are not quite superb improvisors born and bred here because there are many. It may be that there are fewer opportunities in an Anglican service to use such skills although that depends a lot on the form of service. I recall playing for a Christmas service in a large C of E establishment where the number of communicants required a lengthy improv. after a relatively short anthem.

In my opinion, improvisation is enormously satisfying, especially when based on an appopriate plainchant for the liturgical season or for services where the concluding voluntary follows on immediately from the final hymn. To create something so ephemeral yet structured and hopefully musical is, for me, the pinnacle of the art.

I apologise in advance if I fail to respond to postings in a timely fashion. It is not often that I visit these pages because free time is at a premium and I do not often wish spend that which I have looking at a PC screen!

Bws

CB

[mercia]

thank you for that CB

[Nick Armstrong]

I remember PC's life-long influence on me. If it hadn't been for his brilliance and the effect on me of the Vierne I would not have met, in a café in the square by St Sulpice, the lady who is now my wife.

I cannot imagine a more romantic or touching post has ever appeared on these boards!! Félicitations!

It didn't change my life in the same way, but one of my most cherished musical memories was attending mass at La Trinité one Palm Sunday having seen on the notice board: "Aux Grandes Orgues: Maitre Olivier Messiaen" and "Apres la Messe: Improvisation de Maitre Olivier Messiaen". Truly awesome (felt like popping in to hear Bach in St Thomas's)... and rounded off by having an aperitif with (among others) Messiaen himself afterwards, shaking his hand and having a quick chat