wolsey
-
Posts
593 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by wolsey
-
-
Yes - and I trust that they who are snooty about transcriptions avoid the Schubler chorales!
By all means avoid something if you believe it to be poor music, but don't write it off just because it's a transcription.
I imagine that some people would regard Bach's arrangements of concerti by Ernst and Vivaldi, and trios by Fasch and Couperin as beyond the pale.
-
I recall a couple of composers writing specifically for the Rite B service, including an anonymous pseudo-plainsong setting at the back of the New English Hymnal. Does anyone know the composer of that one please?
Barry Williams
The Rite B setting at NEH 542 is by Merbecke, while the Rite A setting entitled A New English Folk Mass (NEH 541) is, so I was told, by Arthur Hutchings.
-
... and the very best ones before 1600 - Byrd, Palestrina, Victoria, Lassus, Josquin. My favourite has to be the mass in four parts by Byrd.
For me, Byrd's Mass for five voices has the edge over the four-part setting; the second tenor line gives the texture a fuller sonority.
-
I played for a wedding this afternoon where a visiting quire sang three pieces, including two by Rutter. They were pleasant enough: sugary, schmaltzy and appropriate for the occasion.
It set me thinking. Does Rutter write in this style to attract the lucrative, American audience or because he can't do any better? I tend towards the former view simply because I think his Requiem is a very reasonable work and the orchestration is nicely done.
Of course his early carol stuff is now 'classic' but a forty-year career based on a recurring formula (nice melody with pianoesque accompaniment - a harmony verse - a lower voice verse - an upper voice verse - a final verse with descant) could be interpreted by some as a lack of imagination.
Undoubtedly he is hugely successful - especially across The Atlantic - and has no doubt made a comfortable living from this style of music, but I do wonder....
Any thoughts?
A very rough trawl of the OUP catalogue for John Rutter's sacred music for SATB produces about 50 items; many responses here seem to based on knowledge of a handful of the oft-sung 'favourites'. As I write this, I have his double choir anthem Come down, O Love divine playing on the computer which shows another aspect of his musical language - and hardly 'sugary' or 'schmaltzy'. He is a gifted and successful composer and editor of considerable scholarship whose output, as far as Anglican church music is concerned, fills particular niches well.
The "exciting stuff" mentioned by Holz Gedeckt (no relation to Leeblick (sic) Gedeckt, I assume) was a highly inappropriate (arguably libellous?) remark on this public forum about a living composer - serious enough to demand action from the Moderator.
-
Whatever you think of Rutter's style, he gets away with it (magnificently, I would say) because of his craftsmanship. The taste of what he produces becomes a secondary consideration. (I like it on days when I'm stuffing myself with jam doughnuts and deep-fried Mars bars with clotted cream.)
I conducted his Requiem for choir and orchestra a few years ago. What was crystal clear to the singers and to me in the weeks of rehearsals was that he knows how to write effectively for an amateur chorus, and - above all, the accompaniment helps the choir at practically every single entry; if the sopranos were unsure of their note, it was being played by an instrument (with a distinctive timbre) a beat or two before the entry. Such a compositional/orchestrational skill put Rutter in the choir's good books at the outset.
-
There is also a website, www.theclassicalshop.net , which is the digital arm of Chandos' output, which also features some works by Priory amongst others. As far as i know Regent and Hyperion have yet to go digital. (And i doubt hyperion will)
I am sure I read somewhere that Hyperion are "on the case". Watch out for developments in 2008...
-
If your choir's affiliated to the RSCM, the music planning guide Sunday by Sunday should be your first stop...I am taking my choir to St Albans Abbey for Epiphany Sunday (Eucharist and Evensong) and I know any day now, the Precentor is going to be asking for my music list! Any ideas anyone (rehearsal on the day only - choir is from all over the place / good sight readers / reasonable balance / around 30 singers).All I have so far in my mind is perhaps Mendelssohn There shall a star for Evensong anthem, and maybe something like Darke in F for Euch setting (simple but effective).
I need some inspiration!
Thanks for your suggestions.....
Richard
otherwise the following all feature the Magi/Wise Men in their texts:
from Anthems for Choirs 4 -
Hoddinott: Puer natus
H C Stewart: On this day
also
Händl: Omnes de Saba
arr. McPhee: Whence is that goodly fragrance?
Howells: Here is the little door
Ouseley: From the rising of the sun
-
It wasn't supposed to be a service. More of a concert with audience participation. I would have thought that was obvious. I have been to several of these and they are great fun.
Go ahead Justadad, be a boring grumpy old fossil with the rest of them in their high and mighty organ lofts
Who, precisely, are these people (grumpy old fossils?) in their "high and mighty organ lofts"?
-
======================
I cannot resist the temptation to compare music academy trained musicians, with university trained musicians.
I recall one university lecturer saying to me, "If you want to be a performer, then a university is not the right place to be."
Since then, I've come a round almost to the same viewpoint......and therein lies, perhaps, the key to all this, and the British "problem" with exciting organ-playing.
MM
We're digressing somewhat from favourite British players of Bach, but I'm not sure where the argument above takes us - unless I've got the wrong end of the stick. What about those musicians who spent some time at a conservatoire before or after university?
Were Peter Hurford, Simon Preston, John Scott, Thomas Trotter, David Hill, David Briggs, David Goode - or Andrew Fletcher - truly "performers" before, during, or after their time at university? What about Professor John Butt, a superlative player and academic?
-
Hi,
As a choral scholar / organist at St Mary's Episopal Cathedral Edinburgh, I can confirm that Simon Nieminski left after the Edinburgh festival in late august, and went to be the organist at the catholic cathedral (also a St Mary's) to concentrate on his playing, and it is at the catholic cathedral where the new organ is. Duncan Ferguson is now the Acting Master of Music for 1 year, whilst somebody new is appointed. He was previously the assistant here since 2005, before that the Organ Schlolar of St Pauls Cathedral London and before that Organ Scholar of Magdalen College Oxford. The assistant is now Nick Wearne who was previously organ scholar and then assistant at New College Oxford and organ scholar and acting assistant at Truro Cathedral. The cathedral still has the 4 - manual Willis which is a joy to play!
Andrew
It needs to be further clarified, perhaps, that Simon has been appointed Cathedral Organist at St Mary's RC Cathedral; the Director of Music there is Emma Turnbull.
-
Are they playing the right notes?
One assumes that they are playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order...
-
QUOTE(wolsey @ Oct 8 2007, 08:08 PM) *
The ISM does not publish recommended rates; it is no longer allowed to do so under the terms of the Competition Act. It does though publish a Fees Survey 2006 (an appendix of their Organists' Guide to Employment) which is available to all from their website.
I beg to differ.....................quote from RSCM website.............................."RSCM recommended rates for remuneration of church musicians
I was referring to the ISM - not the RSCM...
-
I realise that RSCM / ISM publish recommended rates, but I would be interested to know how much people actually do receive / charge.
The ISM does not publish recommended rates; it is no longer allowed to do so under the terms of the Competition Act. It does though publish a Fees Survey 2006 (an appendix of their Organists' Guide to Employment) which is available to all from their website.
-
...The King's set I find a little dated, with very "ordinary"chants, but are well sung and discretely accompanied by David Willcocks (why does one of the discs use Trinity (pre Metzler) to record in: was the Kings organ being rebuilt?).
I stand to be corrected on the detail, but wasn't the interior of King's College Chapel being cleaned and the organ overhauled (1968)? I believe the recording of Vaughan Williams' Mass in G minor was also made in Trinity.
-
Might be of interest, I video'd John pryer improvising at the end of choral evensong at St. Micheals Tenbury last Sunday.
I can see the trench coat, so it's certainly John! Seriously though, and as I think I've said before on here, John (a retired schoolmaster) is one of the best - unsung - exponents of the art, known to the cognoscenti. He was assistant at Birmingham Cathedral when David Briggs was but a chorister. The young David used to run to the console after a service to watch and soak it all in. The rest is history...
-
As no-one has done so yet on here, may I wish many happy returns to Dr Francis Jackson CBE who has been celebrating his 90th birthday today.
-
Curious that Mr.Gray's title is merely 'Director' - Professor John Harper always styled himself 'Director General'!
Not really curious. The title has indeed changed, reflecting the nature of the new post. Professor Harper did not bestow his job title upon himself. He was asked by the RSCM Council to combine the role of director with that of chief executive, with the title Director General.
-
Have you played Salisbury? Compared to this instrument, Winchester is virtually devoid of any real colour - even if the mixtures are more generally useful than those on the Salisbury Willis.
I have played it, but many organs would pale into insignificance besides Salisbury which, together with Truro (which I've given a recital on), are arguably Father Willis's finest instruments.
-
5) Winchester Cathedral (No real colour or tonal beauty - it is simply a noise machine. The 32p Contra Bombarde, which was the only such stop ever made by Hele & Co., Plymouth, is rather offensive from anywhere in the Quire. The only redeeming feature of this organ is the beautiful Harrison & Harrison console.)
??? I can't remember it being that bad on the occasions I've played/heard it...
-
Is any of it worth purchasing and learning though, please?
I have the same edition as Barry, and to be honest, no.
-
... what's the loudest organ you've ever encountered, whether measured at console or in church/auditorium?
Wesminster Cathedral
Bath Abbey (Klais)
St Alban's, Holborn
St Peter's, Eaton Square (Jones)
Royal Albert Hall (restored)
-
A few years ago, I recall seeing a review of a small privately produced collection of the hymn tunes of Ken Naylor, best known for Coe Fen. I'm only aware of one other tune by him, Eastville (to 'Breathe on me breath of God'), in Church Hymnal 5 of the Church of Ireland. Does anyone have the said collection or know from where it might be obtained? If the rest of his tunes are as good as Coe Fen, it should be well worth getting hold of!
Many thanks in advance.
I bought The Hymn Tunes of Ken Naylor in 1997 for £2. The booklet was then available from the compiler of the selection, Christopher Solomon, at Green Lane End, Spittal, Fangfoss, YORK YO41 5QR. I have to say though that my initial enquiries lead me to believe that the compiler may no longer be at that location, though you can but try. The rights of Ken Naylor's tunes and arrangements are administered by OUP on behalf of the Naylor Estate, so perhaps they can help further. An e-mail to music.permissions.uk@oup.com might set you off on the right road. Good luck.
-
Indeed not. Listen to the (uniformly bad) recordings of him [bartok] playing, and you will hear a gentleness and flexibility, whether playing his own works or Mozart, Scarlatti, etc, which is quite unlike the way that some people play his music.
Absolutely. I remember hearing a radio programme about this, and his reading of his Allegro barbaro had none of the piano-breaking savagery which is so often heard.
-
I somehow missed this interesting thread which has now been inactive for a few months. However, it is also interesting to note that Lewis's original key touch settings remain on his organ in Kelvingrove, Glasgow. Details of these in the following information.
http://www.glasgowmuseums.com/assets/fileS...ove%20Organ.pdf
Mentioned in post 5 above, but no-one here will hold it against you
Celebrities As Organists
in General discussion
Posted
A Private Function