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Rvw's Birthday


msw

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Anyone else marking the 12th October with VW's music? Here at Kendal, my Assistant and I are playing appropriate voluntaries (Prelude in C minor, Rhosymedre, Hyfrydol, Howells' "Sarabande for the 12th day of any October" and Graham Steed's Prelude on "Down Ampney" approved by RVW himself) and we're having an all-VW Evensong, except for the Responses.

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Anyone else marking the 12th October with VW's music? Here at Kendal, my Assistant and I are playing appropriate voluntaries (Prelude in C minor, Rhosymedre, Hyfrydol, Howells' "Sarabande for the 12th day of any October" and Graham Steed's Prelude on "Down Ampney" approved by RVW himself) and we're having an all-VW Evensong, except for the Responses.

 

I believe that the Archbishop of Canterbury has suggested all churches sing a hymn by RVW next Sunday - a nice idea. Here at Ripon we happily included Sine Nomine in the broadcast Choral Evensong yesterday (repeated on Sunday) as well as Christopher Campling's St Wilfrid hymn for our own patronal festival.

 

JS

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I believe that the Archbishop of Canterbury has suggested all churches sing a hymn by RVW next Sunday - a nice idea. Here at Ripon we happily included Sine Nomine in the broadcast Choral Evensong yesterday (repeated on Sunday) as well as Christopher Campling's St Wilfrid hymn for our own patronal festival.

 

JS

 

We're having "Down Ampney" at Evensong (hence the inclusion of the Graham Steed piece I mentioned earlier) but the most we can do in the morning is sing "Come my Way" during Communion - the Boys Brigade are in and they always have the same Salvationist stuff every time: "One more step," "Will your anchor hold" etc. However, we're also giving the first performance of a new hymn written for us by Paul Wigmore and John Barnard - "Music sounds the joy." The text links Music and Song to key moments in the Church year, so we could perform it at any time, but the VW anniversary seemed especially appropriate.

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No - the nearest we shall get is All my hope (to Michael, of course) and, if I remember correctly, a Mass setting by Gounod, which is, I think, written for ATB. I also think that I am due to play the final voluntary, but it will not be anything by RVW - Rhosymedre would be inaudible, and I do not play any of his other organ music.

 

Actually, I have not yet thought about what I shall play - perhaps the building will be free on Saturday evening and I will have time to go in and plan something for once....

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It would even better if churches would learn a new VW tune next Sunday. There are plenty that are unduly neglected.

 

There are indeed - David Owen Norris' English Hymnal-a-thon (previously mentioned elsewhere) was repeated at Romsey Abbey a couple of weeks ago, in the company of Five Mystical Songs and Serenade to Music (the latter accompanied by organ and piano duet). Such fun. And 190+ to an organ recital - pretty much unheard of round 'ere.

 

As for this Sunday in the new place, Down Ampney, Kingsfold, RVW's harmonisation of Picardy, O god of earth and altar plus (as a motet) Author of life divine sung along to the Rhosymedre prelude. In the evening, Slane and a couple of the other tunes which first appeared in print in RVW's Songs of Praise book.

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It would even better if churches would learn a new VW tune next Sunday. There are plenty that are unduly neglected.

 

... and perhaps even a few that are as-yet undiscovered? The RSCM's most recent Sunday by Sunday included a recently unearthed psalm chant by RVW, which we're pairing off with Psalm 23. It's a gem!

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At Christ Church, Swindon we are having Down Ampney (with the wonderful descant from "Hit the Roof") and Lasst uns erfreuen (arr. RVW) as congregational hymns. The choir anthem is "O how amiable" and the voluntary is RVW's wonderful Prelude in C minor that has proved very challenging to learn, but is worth the effort. I'm not sure the congregaton will like it though as it's very discordant in places.

 

Tim

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