Benjamin Britten - Hymn to St. Cecilia Op. 27

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)

Hymn to St. Cecilia, Op. 27 (1942)
Poem dedicated to Benjamin Britten by W.H. Auden

I In a garden shady
II (2:59) I cannot grow
III (4:51) O ear whose creatures

Soloists: Caroline Ashton, Donna Deam, Susanna Spicer, Angus Smith, Charles Pott.

The Cambridge Singers conducted by John Rutter

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Benjamin
• Britten
• Hymn
• to
• St
• Cecilia
• Op
• 27

[peddletoneG]

Kenton, I'm not sure I understand your reply, it seemed to be the same vid we were commenting upon, because although the bass section seemed adequate, the tympani solo line was by a baritone, just not 'oomphy' enough. I think even at mf, a little 'boom' doesn't hurt before the dimuendo to p happens. The alto and tenor solo bits were much better than ours, though. Jason

[peddletoneG]

@harborseal54 Why then call it a guy's choir, unless there are some 'trannys', since we wouldn't be allowed the other way...?

[peddletoneG]

@kentondickerson I forgot a warning--if you ever get to do the Rach. In that mvt 12, there is a section without bass, and in both choirs I've had the opportunity to sing it with, the gals and tenors run 'er a little flat, so you have to come back in within the prevailing chord, and there's too much weight and impetus to pull back up. It's a rare good choir, (they exist), that can keep the pitch up on the mvt, so Be Prepared to have to do an A, just in case, as last interval is a step, not half.

[peddletoneG]

@gg666123456 Ever get the rare chance at the sub-basement, and get a cold just 4 days before the performances? In Dec., one of my pro groups did a piece where during a reh I for fun popped down to the G-1 and bloomed it, and the director looked over and asked if I could do it. Worked great during the rest of the reh, but the cold killed anything below the B-flat 2 and at the other end, the F-4 was for squat. Very frustrating. Age started letting me do that Great G only 2 years back.

[peddletoneG]

@kentondickerson Yeah, we introduced Temirkanov to the town with that piece when he led our symphony for several years, and ushered him out with the same one, via his low-key dictatorial style, penchant for booting out long-time orchs,(sic) and replacing them with cronies from St Pete. Annoying as he was, his conducting, with little english and many interpretive gestures, conveyed what he wanted, and he could make that piece get up and TALK; one of the most impressive Cond ever, but, 'see ya'.

[kentondickerson]

@peddletoneG Also Mahler's Second Symphony has lots of low c"s & B Flats.

[eleanorrable]

Lovely lovely stuff. This is the Cambridge Singers and with names like Caroline, Donna and Susanna I think there may be some sopranos.....

[harborseal54]

@brevetaps Guys choirs can have sopranos too. And the Cambridge Singers are a mixed choir. There are girls in it.

[brevetaps]

Folks: There are no soprano's here. This is a guy choir.,, Least I think so.

[Pretendkid]

03:03 HOW DO THEY EVEN SING THAT OMG