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?<\/p>\n
We paired the Byrd with his lengthy setting of the Eucharistic text O quam suavis<\/i>, which was new to me. Another totally new piece (and composer) was Croce’s Descendi in hortum meum<\/i>. 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<\/i>, which I feel can hold its own against almost any of Purcell’s church music.<\/p>\n
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).<\/p>\n
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<\/i>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 … Continue reading