Choir of St. John's College - Choral Classics

[gwalaus]

Thank you, gentlemen for this rather restrained but near-perfect performance. The Parsons is a particularly emotional Ave for some reason. A local choir (Australian) had some random mexicans in tears, singing it on a tour some years ago. The mexicans have a little-known but extensive history of sacred polyphony via Spain.

[gerardbedecarter]

Original instrumentation and key (A major). Thanks for uploading. A beautiful interpretation!

[gerardbedecarter]

@gerardbedecarter  (Franck).

[gerardbedecarter]

@gerardbedecarter I'm not sure about the choir being in the original, though!

[choirboyfromhell1]

And is that a young Andrew Nethsingha at 07:11 in the middle of the harp????

[DonRaphel]

@choirboyfromhell1 No, that's impossilble, Nethsingha was born somewhere in the sixties, this is recorded in mid-nineties, so he must have been older than that kid is. Besides that, Nethsingha was an organ scholar at st. john's, not a choral scholar or treble.

[choirboyfromhell1]

@DonRaphel Duh-my bad, yes, he was chorister at Exeter...

[tgoldring]

@DonRaphel You're spot on. This was recorded sometime during the 1995-96 academic year. We went on tour to Canada just before Christmas '95 and Australia in the summer of '96, and I can't recall when this recording was squeezed in. Perhaps during the Easter break. I'm the blond-haired treble who keeps fading in and out of the shot during the first 2 minutes! I was 10 or 11 at the time.

[choirboyfromhell1]

Who was the tenor soloist on the Franck?

As always, a stellar job by The Best Choir in the World.

[TJATJA1982]

I'm not sure who sang the Franck - this recording is at least 10 years old and my tenure started in 2001. He has a lovely voice, though.

The cellist (Peter Davis) used to play with us when we did the Durufle Requem on Remembrance Sunday... what a piece.

[choirboyfromhell1]

We did it with a harpist at our cathedral, and I was amazed to watch the harpist tune with the organ, then with strobometer-like instrument.

Did you have a male alto do the solo on Pie Jesu for the Durufle?? That would be different...

[TJATJA1982]

I can't remember.... but I would think that we did - either that or a treble would have done it. But I'm pretty sure that the only external person brought in for that was the cellist.

[choirboyfromhell1]

By the way, did you and Sam Furness overlap? My God, what a tenor voice.....

[TJATJA1982]

I didn't sing with him, but I know the name... when was he about?

A lot of our choir are now doing some great gigs.

Iestyn Davies (alto) was on the Proms the other night as a soloist doing some Handel (i think) - he has a fantastic voice. Both Allan Clayton and Andy Staples are very big in the tenor world and are extremely talented. Plus a host of others that were excellent. If you don't know those names then definitely check them out - search for them here and on Google - great stuff!

[choirboyfromhell1]

I think he graduated in 2008, but hung on for another year as lay clerk. He's going to attend RSM this year.

[TJATJA1982]

Aaah ok I thought that I'd heard the name before.

[thelaughingcat]

What a stoner though...

[choirboyfromhell1]

Yes, he had his hands rolling something surreptitiously under the table at the May Pole when I visited last May, I thought good God. Perhaps the RSM will kick him in the private parts and we can then hear of him singing internationally.

[barcombehall]

@choirboyfromhell1 It was Andrew Hewitt.

[choirboyfromhell1]

@barcombehall Thank you. Lovely sound.

[TJATJA1982]

petyoprinsen - it was even more fun being a part of it, getting to sing in that wonderful building every night for three years. A truly awesome experience, singing with some of the best young singers in the world, and getting to go round the world doing it.

I miss it very much now...

[treblechoir99]

Wow. Great moment and experience for you.

[choirboyfromhell1]

And I imagine you miss the The Maypole as well...

[TJATJA1982]

hehe - it was a favourite haunt of ours, for sure. I miss their tasty bangers and mash. And beer.

[choirboyfromhell1]

Lamb's Best Bitters!

That and I managed to crash the pub under Clare Chapel as well. It was a wonderful tear-filled and happy week in England. There is no place on earth like Cambridge.

[TJATJA1982]

Clare Cellars? They used to put on very cool events down there. It's an atmospheric place.

You are right though - Cambridge is a magical place. I try to get back there at least once a year, go and see the choir etc.

[choirboyfromhell1]

I try to fly across the Atlantic every couple of years, get up there and weep myself silly in the back of the chapel.

[TJATJA1982]

Hehe - it can get that way. We did a tour to the states in 2003, it was great fun.

[petyoprinsen]

So very very beautiful. I've a lot of respect for this young men and musicians. They're doing a great job and making people very happy with their talents.

[Knappa22]

I've not seen them sing in the ante-chapel before this. Sounds great.

[treblechoir99]

Yes. And also It's a very nice DVD.

[vivian2nana]

Wonderful!!!

[wskfan]

Until now I did not know this version of "Ave Maria". It comes again into my mind that the

English chorister often have a very tightened

collar (?). Why ? That must handicap the singing. Nevertheless:

Singing, images and sound are again perfect, editor !