First engagement of 2014 was when the Cathedral Chamber Choir went to Southwell Minster for a weekend of services. Liturgically, the weekend shaded from Christmas into the first Evensong of Epiphany, and our choice of music reflected this. <\/p>\n
Karl Rütti’s setting of I wonder as I wander<\/i> comes round about once every 3 years at the King’s 9 Lessons broadcast, and I’ve tended to think that it’s a makeweight, included so as to free rehearsal time for more complex pieces. But it’s harder than it sounds, largely because the rhythm varies slightly from verse to verse.<\/p>\n
The other piece new to me was Ecce virgo concipiet<\/i> by Byrd; I realise there are lots of Byrd’s Latin pieces that I’ve still yet to sing. The anthem for Sunday evensong was Mendelssohn’s Frohlocket, ihr Völker<\/i> – somehow Mendelssohn’s writing for voices seems much denser when it’s in German. Southwell permits, indeed encourages, introits and ours was the opening of Britten’s A Boy was Born<\/i>. I was one of few in the choir who’d sung the entire piece, back in my days with the Brandon Hill Singers.<\/p>\n
The rest of the music was rather more familiar: Noble in B minor, Smith responses, Stanford in A and at Communion Howells ‘Coll. Reg.’ The catch here was that it was a Book of Common Prayer Communion, with the Gloria at the end. <\/p>\n
We were made welcome and enjoyed our visit – it’s just a pity that the awkward journey (however achieved) to and from the East Midlands from the South West puts this lovely Cathedral a bit out of range for me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
First engagement of 2014 was when the Cathedral Chamber Choir went to Southwell Minster for a weekend of services. Liturgically, the weekend shaded from Christmas into the first Evensong of Epiphany, and our choice of music reflected this. Karl Rütti’s … Continue reading