I joined Priory Voices for a weekend of services in Wells in autumn half-term. The highlight for me was a chance to sing movements from Byrd’s five-part Mass. This was especially welcome because I had had to decline an invitation to sing at Southwark the same weekend, which also included the Mass. The curious thing is that I haven’t sung this setting, or even been invited to as far as I can recall, since I was a student! Why is it suddenly so popular? Is there a sudden outbreak of tenors? A new edition? Or is it because it was performed for the Pope on his recent visit to Westminster Cathedral?
We paired the Byrd with his lengthy setting of the Eucharistic text O quam suavis, which was new to me. Another totally new piece (and composer) was Croce’s Descendi in hortum meum. I’d not have guessed Croce was Venetian from the style. The other early piece was a great favourite of mine which I haven’t sung for a while: Blow’s Salvator mundi, which I feel can hold its own against almost any of Purcell’s church music.
The responses we used were by Judith Ward, a member of the choir who was standing next to me in the stalls, something of a mixed blessing: I didn’t want to mess them up in her hearing (I don’t think I did) but on the other hand I knew she’d be singing them correctly! With many of the choir having Manchester connexions, it was interesting to have a gospel acclamation by Stuart Beer, even if we were never sure whether the top line was E flat or E natural (one advantage of having the composer with you).
Our evensong settings were both twentieth-century: Howells ‘Coll. Reg.’ (which I hadn’t done for a while) and Wood’s setting in F for double choir. We finished our weekend with Faire is the Heaven.