Sunday 4 March 2018

And finally, Lassus, Victoria & Palestrina from King's College, Cambridge

I was privileged to attend this broadcast ... opportunities to see Cleobury in action in such situations will diminish, as he has announced his retirement, to take effect next year.

At last week's evensong, we heard an extract from a setting of the Stabat Mater of Lassus, Palestrina's glorious setting of the same work, and settings of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis by T.L. de Victoria.


Ash Wednesday Evensong from Oxon. (New College)

Allegri's Miserere (with trebles dynamically improvising in place of the usual static run of "high Cs" - though we do get some of these as well, even two at once) at the Ash Wednesday Evensong from New College, Oxford under Quinney. My word the men sing the chant parts superbly. And here is a clip of Palestrina's motet Peccantem me quotidie:


Sheppard from Oxon. (Magdalen)

A clip from Evensong a few weeks ago, broadcast on BBC Radio 3 - John Sheppard's Gaude, Gaude, Gaude Maria.


Byrd 3 from Cantab. (John's)

St John's College, Cambridge are not unique in making their sung services available as web-casts, but I have yet to find a college who makes it so easily accessible (and easy to skip to different parts of the service). Here the Gentlemen of the Choir beautifully sing the Byrd three part Mass, and Durufle's Ubi Caritas.

Of particular importance, we hear the polyphonic Credo and Sanctus - what a shame these are "forbidden" (or as good as) in the Roman Rite.

Sung Eucharist - 18 February 2018 | The Choir of St John's College, Cambridge