Radio 4 Morning Service

[David Coram]

A friend of mine many years ago drafted plans for a station called 'Radio Polyphony' which might be able to succeed in the DAB era, apart from work on olfactory transmitters for the domestic reception of incense having stalled in its early stages. Essentially, the news was to be intoned to Anglican chant; the weather in Latin; and a hymn from Mission Praise and a reading from the Good News Bible every morning at 3.15am as a quality control measure.

[Malcolm Kemp]

Some of us can remember when the Highway Code was issued on a vinyl record, sung to Anglican chants. Not only did it help people to learn the Highway Code; it was also a very good example of Anglican chanting, and a number of churches used it as an example for their choirs to see "the proper way to do it". I've just found it on YouTube - it's done by The Mastersingers and dates from 1966

 

 

 

Malcolm

[John Robinson]

DAB (Digital Radio) has been sold to us on the grounds that it provides radio channels for ethnic minorities, alternative music and those with more diverse interests.

 

I wonder; what about a Hymn channel? Or how about an organ and church music channel, to include morning service, choral evensong, and other appropriate material? Then, perhaps on the 5th Sunday of the month, the Happy-Clappies could be allowed some of their own music. (No doubt they would want to take it over for themselves.)

 

I may be biased, but I would imagine that such a channel would be far more popular than most people would ever want to admit. Like other classical radio channels, one might not want to listen to it all day every day, but it would be wonderful to have it on hand.

 

If the TV licensing authorities can provide porn channels on Terrestrial television I would have thought that a request for a hymn and church music channel on DAB radio would be entirely justified.

 

No doubt it would need to be funded by advertising, but that itself could create some interesting sponsorship opportunities.

 

Certainly not! They can start their own channel.

[James Dawson]

A friend of mine many years ago drafted plans for a station called 'Radio Polyphony' which might be able to succeed in the DAB era, apart from work on olfactory transmitters for the domestic reception of incense having stalled in its early stages. Essentially, the news was to be intoned to Anglican chant; the weather in Latin; and a hymn from Mission Praise and a reading from the Good News Bible every morning at 3.15am as a quality control measure.

 

Incense sticks are readily available, and are often used in this household when listening to 'appropriate' music.

 

Sir Charles Stanford said of Elgar's Gerontius that it 'stank of incense': well it does in this house.

 

I agree about only performing hymns from Mission Praise in the dead of night; but I would worry that the mistakes might offend truck drivers and others who listen in the early hours. Looking on the bright side, I suppose the errors, if faithfully performed, would help to keep them awake.

 

Seriously though, I wonder whether there might perhaps be an opportunity for a radio channel of this calibre in today's world? As I said yesterday, I would imagine that such a channel would be far more popular than most people would ever want to admit. For outside of these four walls, I am sure there are many people who enjoy, and gain comfort from hymns and sacred music, but would never dare admit it to friends and colleagues.

[James Dawson]

Some of us can remember when the Highway Code was issued on a vinyl record, sung to Anglican chants. Not only did it help people to learn the Highway Code; it was also a very good example of Anglican chanting, and a number of churches used it as an example for their choirs to see "the proper way to do it". I've just found it on YouTube - it's done by The Mastersingers and dates from 1966

 

 

 

Malcolm

 

Some of the comments are rather telling; such as (I quote) "any one know where i can get the sheet music for this?"

[Colin Harvey]

Incense sticks are readily available, and are often used in this household when listening to 'appropriate' music.

 

Sir Charles Stanford said of Elgar's Gerontius that it 'stank of incense': well it does in this house.

I have to admit to being a bit of a closet pyromanic too. I suggest these suppliers if you want the full authentic church incense experience:

 

http://www.prinknashabbey.org/Incense.htm

 

You can burn the charcoal tablets on a pile of sand or small pieces of gravel in a saucer. Hours of fun for the budding pyromanic. Enjoy!

[Malcolm Kemp]

Rosa Mystica and Basilica are both highly recommended for Festivals!

 

Malcolm

[Colin Harvey]

Yes, Basilica is one of my favourites too! I've yet to try Rosa Mystica but I'll put it on the list. I see Prinknash Abbey do small boxes of incense for home use too.

[MusingMuso]

Rosa Mystica and Basilica are both highly recommended for Festivals!

 

Malcolm

 

====================

 

You're all way out of date, and it has not the slightest appeal to the young.

 

I was talking to some "disinfected youth" only the other day, as they made their way home from what I presume to have been a Christian festival. I asked what the funny smell was, but the way they shape their words to-day, it was difficult to understand what they were saying.

 

I think I heard one of them suggest that his friend smelled like a skunk, and if so, I thought it very unkind under the circumstances.

 

Anyway, bless them, they seemed happy enough as they wobbled away in a state of obvious spiritual ecstacy; one tripping over a kerb and another colliding with a lamp-post.

 

MM

[MusingMuso]

I agree about only performing hymns from Mission Praise in the dead of night; but I would worry that the mistakes might offend truck drivers and others who listen in the early hours. Looking on the bright side, I suppose the errors, if faithfully performed, would help to keep them awake.

 

================

 

 

Call me a fuddy duddy, but I still prefer traditional.

 

"Through the night of doubt and sorrow" or "Lead kindly light, amid the encircling gloom."

 

Still, for staying awake there's nothing better than Dolly Parton, the BeeGees, Shakatak and an occasional blast from the Albert Hall organ. I've stopped listening to Tuvan throat-singing following an unfortunate incident with Customs, who stripped out the load looking for illegal immigrants.

 

MM

[handsoff]

I have to admit to being a bit of a closet pyromanic too. I suggest these suppliers if you want the full authentic church incense experience:

 

http://www.prinknashabbey.org/Incense.htm

 

You can burn the charcoal tablets on a pile of sand or small pieces of gravel in a saucer. Hours of fun for the budding pyromanic. Enjoy!

 

They work with Stainer, too...

 

 

"And the house was fill-ed with SMOKE"

[contrabordun]

You don't need charcoal for that, the score of Crucifxion burns quite readily unaided.

[mjgrieveson]

Was the final hymn in this mornings' broadcast a recognized arrangement?

It sounded as though there were too many musical resources to hand and they couldn't decide who should have the final honours. I can't think of any circumstances when organ and brass need a drumkit (but I'm sure I shall be corrected if there are).

 

Made me think of a plate of spaghetti bol topped with a dollop of tutti frutti.

[Peter Clark]

I had meant to post this last week but never got round to it. It concerns the Sunday Worship broadcast on 10/10/10, and inj particular the concluding colunrary, Exultate Deo by Rosalie Bonighton. Hearing thisd sent me scurrying to my Mayhew volumes and I found it in a collection called Fiesta, a book of twelve or so joyful pieces - and the piece in question is rather good - until, IMHO the last bar which has a G6 chord followed by one of Gmaj7 as the final chord (without, inexplicably, pedals) . This is a pity I think as it spoils an otherwise exuberant composition.

 

To adopt the sub-heading of this thread - why?

 

Peter

[Guest Patrick Coleman]

Was the final hymn in this mornings' broadcast a recognized arrangement?

It sounded as though there were too many musical resources to hand and they couldn't decide who should have the final honours. I can't think of any circumstances when organ and brass need a drumkit (but I'm sure I shall be corrected if there are).

 

Made me think of a plate of spaghetti bol topped with a dollop of tutti frutti.

There should be a designated place in hell for 'obbligato' flutes.

[AJJ]

I had meant to post this last week but never got round to it. It concerns the Sunday Worship broadcast on 10/10/10, and inj particular the concluding colunrary, Exultate Deo by Rosalie Bonighton. Hearing thisd sent me scurrying to my Mayhew volumes and I found it in a collection called Fiesta, a book of twelve or so joyful pieces - and the piece in question is rather good - until, IMHO the last bar which has a G6 chord followed by one of Gmaj7 as the final chord (without, inexplicably, pedals) . This is a pity I think as it spoils an otherwise exuberant composition.

 

To adopt the sub-heading of this thread - why?

 

Peter

 

Coincidentally they had the Toccatina by Robert Jones from this book from me today.

 

A

 

Re the question above - most (not all) of the KM stuff is light & breezy etc. Easy come easy go..............

[innate]

There should be a designated place in hell for 'obbligato' flutes.

Yeah, that Esurientes in the Bach Magnificat is rubbish

[Peter Clark]

Re the question above - most (not all) of the KM stuff is light & breezy etc. Easy come easy go..............

 

Thanks for that and I agree that indeed most of it is but I have about 7 KM books and they all contain one or two winners and much other stuff which is very useful. In the past I have used some of these pieces during the liturgy and also to provide a bit of light relief in recitals. In the latter case they can also provide me with something to relax over either before or after a more substantial work.

 

Peter

[Vox Humana]

In contrast to the woes expressed above, what a pleasure it was to hear Malvern Priory on the radio this morning. I only managed to catch the first half-hour, but it was such a relief to hear decent hymns with good tunes. Really excellent diction from the top line too (not matched by the lower voices!)

[Peter Clark]

I thought yesterday's (7/11/10) Sunday Worship first class. What thought others?

 

Peter

[AJJ]

I agree - 'especially liked the MacMillan Mass setting - 'shame we didn't hear the final voluntary beyond the first few notes - Fantasia on the Te Deum by Andrew Wright if anyone's interested.

 

A

[Vox Humana]

And finally: "The custom in English churches is to sing many hymns much too fast. It is distressing to hear 'Nun Danket' or 'St Anne' raced through at about twice the proper speed. ....... The speed indications should not be judged at the pianoforte"

Vaughan Williams certainly knew what he wanted. He would surely have condemned the hymn speeds in the church where I sang as a nipper, even though those speeds would be regarded as turgid by today's standards. I have always thought RWV's metronome marks "of their time", but of no practical application today, yet a recent experience forces me to think again.

 

Recently I had to accompany a choral concert in a gloriously resonant abbey of almost small cathedral proportions. The last item involved a packed audience singing the hymn "Lo he comes" (the speed of which, for practical reasons, I had to determine myself). Now I do not like fast hymns, but the speed at which I was instructed to play this seemed at first so impossibly slow that the conductor had some difficulty keeping me down to the required tempo. In the event what he got was a little more than he bargained for, as the speed I chose was exactly that specifed by RVW in the EH, possibly even a notch slower. At first it felt impossibly turgid, but gradually I became overwhelmed by a feeling of sublime majesty. It really worked! My wife, who was sitting beside me, thought so too, so it wasn't just me. On this showing I could almost become converted to such speeds, but I do think they would only work with a large congregation in a large building with a large acoustic and a large organ. In my dry parish church, with a modest congregation that doesn't make much effort, they would still be a non starter.

[handsoff]

I had to play "Lo, He Comes" recently at a small parish church and during the choir practice took it at quite a modest pace which prompted a couple of comments about how slow it seemed. One of the choristers had heard Choral Evensong from Canterbury Cathedral that very afternoon, at the end of which the same hymn was taken at a really belting pace (cantered through?) and he thought that it "seemed quite fun" to sing it so fast.

 

I said that I thought Canterbury's singing of it was poor; that it had no dignity, as VH says no sense of majesty and not much chance for the organist to play the

last verse with the reharmonisation that this tune demands. I imagine that time constraint played a part on R3 so that the voluntary (Allegro from Vierne 2) wouldn't overrun into the next programme, although I suppose that a verse could have been omitted.

 

We went through it a few times at varying paces and my view prevailed. This is only a small church with a small 2M+P organ so I didn't go as far as sticking to the RVW speed but took it much more slowly than appears to be the norm these days. On Sunday one or two of the congregation commented how nicely sung and played the final hymn had been. Result!

 

Bear in mind that I'm only an occasional deputy and have no wish to alienate either the choir or the regular organist so don't feel able to force such a point too much.