Repost.
Performing at a professional standard on a daily basis.
The Choir of Men and Boys of New College Chapel, Oxford performed Howells’s Saint Paul’s Service for the Choral Evensong on Trinity Sunday. They have really fine trebles/boys. The Men of the Choir are also excellent.
The current Director of Music at New College, Oxford, is Robert Quinney. George Herbert is the Assistant Organist. The Senior Organ Scholar is Marcus McDevitt, and the Junior Organ Scholar is Joe Hyam.
The Saint Paul’s Service is the canticle setting that Howells wrote for the Choir and acoustics of St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral in London. The writing has slower harmonic changes to accommodate for the vast acoustics and echo of St Paul’s Cathedral. Whereas the settings that he wrote for the Anglican chapels have faster harmonic changes due to the smaller space and drier acoustics.
New College is one of the 43 colleges — that number varies depending upon the source, but it’s somewhere between 39 and 45 — and they are self-governing constituent colleges of the renowned University of Oxford (or Oxbridge as it’s known, with the University of Cambridge). The New College Chapel is part of the established Church of England/Anglican Church. I think it was last year that the Chapel and or Music Department received an award for their continuing the rich Anglican Choral Tradition.
It’s interesting that the High Church/Anglo-Catholic movement began at Oxford, yet these days unfortunately that’s mostly gone — except for the Verger and the priests — observing most of those there for Choral Evensong who look quite Low Church. I noticed they do ask the congregation to stand for the Gloria. Is the thinking: Well, if they won’t bow for the Gloria as they are supposed to, we’ll make them stand instead. But I noticed that the High Church Verger in the black liturgical robe stood (of course) and he also bowed during the Gloria, but he was about the only one other than the priests who bowed in camera view.
They have a relatively new pipe organ. Or was it rebuilt? The organ may not all be new, but it looks new, and I particularly noticed the organ shutters which are transparent so they reflect the windows of the Chapel. I think this is the first or second time I’ve seen transparent shutters because usually they look like wood. I found these shutters much more interesting.
And about the organ accompaniment for the Howells, the Organ Scholar had the bass rumbling for the final chord of the Howells in the Nunc Dimittis. He didn’t use the same bass setting for the final chord of the Magnificat.
Like all the collegiate chapels I’ve seen at Oxbridge, the congregation turns and faces east (toward the High Altar) for the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds.
The anthem was by Elgar: Sing Unto the Lord which begins at 40.00 in the video above. I enjoyed that as well. That was very well done and it also showcased the Men of the Choir, especially the tenors.
Clearly all the people who attended this Choral Evensong were there because they wanted to be because I noticed that they all stayed to hear the Organ Voluntary at the end. That was very respectful and good to see.
I’d also like to make mention about the boy choristers. They are way ahead of their time. They are performing extremely advanced music at their young age. Howells and Elgar, for example. The music of Howells is difficult. I know from my Anglican cathedral experience. Only the finest choral ensembles can perform Howells and perform it the way it was intended by Howells to be performed. That’s why not all Anglican Churches can have Choral Evensong because they don’t have a Choir capable of it. I don’t think this is something that most people think about. If these boys stay with their music, they will go far in their musical career. And these boys act like and perform like adults from their Choir School training.