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Wednesday, 20 April 2022

Caterwauling

I caught the BBC's Choral Evensong today as I was driving home: I seldom listen to it which I know is odd. It was from the Chapel of Merton College, Oxford, recorded in November 2021. I could add a link but it may not stay more than 29 days from today.

The music list was -

  • Introit: Now the green blade riseth (Trad. French, arr. Terry)
  • Responses: Cheryl Frances-Hoad These were bizarre and should be banned; hence the title of this post
  • Psalm 105 (Murrill, Nicholas, Buck) One of these chants was terrible and extremely dissonant, I assume it was the middle one.
  • Canticles: Stanford in A
  • Anthem: Te Deum in G (Vaughan Williams)
  • Voluntary: Symphonie Romane, Op 73 (Moderato) (Widor)

Benjamin Nicholas (Director of Music)
Simon Hogan (Organist)
Owen Chan (Organ Scholar)

All the singing was excellent but I do not understand why composers have to subject the congregation to such dissonance. Is it just to show how clever they are?


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