BBC Choral Evensong: King’s Cambridge 1981 (Philip Ledger)
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- Опубліковано 12 вер 2016
- Live radio broadcast 6 May 1981 from the chapel of King's College, Cambridge, with the chapel choir, conducted by Philip Ledger, and organ scholar John Butt.
Introit: Cantate Domino (Giuseppe Pitoni)
Responses: William Smith
Psalms: 32, 33, 34 (Cooper, Pye, Martin)
First Lesson: Deuteronomy 33, vv 1 and 26-29
Canticles: First Service (Graham Whettam)
Second Lesson: Romans 6 vv 12-14 and 20-23
Anthem: My beloved spake (Patrick Hadley)
Voluntary: Sortie “Messe de la Pentecôte” (Olivier Messaien)
I must have been singing in this broadcast (one of the trebles). The Whettam evensong was difficult to learn, but we enjoyed the syncopation. Philip Ledger got us to mark up our copies with triangles and 'goalpost' symbols to indicate triple and duple groups, which we'd never seen before, and I hardly have since. I don't think I've heard or seen this piece ever since, though can remember it all clearly!
The Ledger choral sound was imposing (though not the heavily weighted leading consonants). The choir under his successor eked a thin and bloodless noise.
The Ledger recordings were a huge wave of sound. The ensemble became orchestral in sweep & boldness. Nice seeing the photo of the 1981 choir: John Butt (organ scholar), Simon Cruckall (captain of choir), Nick Purves (basso profundo), Rory Phillips (bit of polish), Gerald Finley (international color), and friends.
So glad for the Ledger years. Superb ensemble singing.
Truly a treat to hear this, and you are so right in regards to the sound of the choir under different conductors, i.e. Willcocks, Ledger, and Cleobury. Ledger had a truly unique sound with the choir, especially the men; so beefy and robust. So enjoyable!
I be lov'in that Messaien at the end.....YEAH BABY!
Responses (Smith) & Psalms, exquisite!
No words. Incredible sound! Diction. Musicality.
I just love Smith responses.
Fabulous singing, ensemble and drive. St Albans later broadcast the Whettam too - would love to hear that again!
Wonderful to hear this. I was the BBC producer on this occasion and well remember the impact of the Graham Whettam setting of the Canticles (their first broadcast, I believe), after a somewhat fraught pre-service balance-test ! This is a great testament to Philip Ledger's time at King's - and an example to present-day Radio 3 announcers of how to wait for the impact of an organ voluntary to die away, before charging in with the 'back' announcement !
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