BBC TV Choral Evensong: York Minster 1996 (Philip Moore)

BBC TV programme broadcast on 16 October 1996 to mark the 70th anniversary of the long-running BBC Radio series “Choral Evensong”. Featuring the choir of York Minster, directed by Philip Moore, and introduced by Joanna Trollope. Organ: John Scott Whiteley.
The anthem was left out of the broadcast for reasons of length, so this is not quite a complete Evensong.
Responses: William Smith
Psalms: 149, 150 (Stanford)
Canticles: St Paul’s Service (Herbert Howells)
Hymn: Ye that know the Lord is gracious (“Hyfrydol”)

[@tomarmstrong1281]

I am not religious. I am an ex-choirboy. To loose our cathedrals and their musical heritage would be a tragedy. They are a living link to our past, part of our heritage. They must be kept alive. They are worth fighting for.

[@richardherbert9320]

Oh how happy am I, that I can enjoy this! Proudly British, English. Timeless!

[@johannesreckel9036]

It reminds me of the many uplifting evensongs I attended at Durham Cathedral and at St.Oswald's in the 1990s. I am thankful for these memories. Things have changed so much.

[@KennnnnnyTucky]

Superb. It was an amazing era. The brilliant JSW on the organ. The brilliant PM conducting with such subtle dignity. The brilliant choir.

[@jean-bernardbrisset4589]

The anglican ritual is , along with the english breakfast, are what I love best in UK.

[@RomyIlano]

It is so awesome when they do the English choir thing with candles turned up to 110%

[@uchedrumsnwachukwuuchedrum2630]

Am so proud to be an Anglican am from Church of Nigeria Anglican communion, please I wish to go to United States or London to see how Anglican is like in other countries ,

[@stegos6208]

We attended Evensong, Lessons and Carols, Midnight Mass and Christmas Day Choral Evensong at York Minster in December. Awesome. Thank you for sharing.

[@hudsonbailey674]

Blessed be God! Evensong uplifts even an irreversibly 'scientific' mind. Thank you, Archive of Recorded Church Music.

[@oluwolesowole2964]

Thanks, I can not be more delighted as a follower of church music.

[@evelynbrown4201]

Superb. Choral Evensong is the perfect service of worship and York Minster the perfect place in which to worship. Absolutely brilliant -brings back memories of the many times I have attended Evensong in York Minster. Thank you for this wonderful broadcast of Evensong.

[@deaerator10]

How I wish the Church of England still doing this as a form of their worship and litutgy

[@ThePetergate]

Wow! Takes me back. What a great sound - everyone doing their job and doing it well.

[@ArchiveofRecordedChurchMusic]

+ThePetergate Blasts-from-the-pasts can sometimes be fun! It's an extremely well made programme - just a pity the anthem wasn't included.

[@ArchiveofRecordedChurchMusic]

Delighted it has brought back some happy memories!

[@jameslast35]

Phillip Moore and Christopher Robinson have a conducting style which bears little visual relationship to the glorious sound that they achieve. True virtuosity!

[@dhtelevision]

So. Beautiful, been there, from Peterborough

[@changsiwyeen546]

TO GOD BE THE GLORY FOREVER AND EVER Amen

[@Apriluser]

So sorry that the BBC doesn’t hold the music and prayers of the Church in the same esteem as it once did as well as the rest of British culture. Greetings from the US.

[@jameslowery4621]

JSW amazing organ decorating in the Psalm. Wonder what stop it is 🤔

[@martinberzins7478]

I have enjoyed choral evensong for 55 years. Why does the service seem to remain mainly in the higher Anglo-Catholic wing? As I study the Bible more I'm tending to Evangelical/Baptist theology, but still prefer my traditional Anglican worship.

[@ThePetergate]

I can't remember after all this time what anthem we actually sang!

[@ArchiveofRecordedChurchMusic]

+ThePetergate Shame. That was going to be our next question. Presumably the BBC just edited it out tastefully, to make sure the programme didn't overrun.

[@ThePetergate]

+Archive of Recorded Church Music. It certainly wasn't for reasons of quality; it was a highly professional choir back then. I think the programme was intended to have popular appeal, to attract people who weren't necessarily familiar with cathedral services, and so maybe the BBC felt it might stretch the attention-span to include an anthem. Point to note: York Minster evensongs did not have an introit in those days - there are aisle prayers that are sung - so in a sense an anthem WAS included, just not in the usual place, though it was effectively used as background music.

[@ArchiveofRecordedChurchMusic]

+ThePetergate So would you count that "aisle prayer" as heard on the TV recording as an official part of the service?

[@ThePetergate]

+Archive of Recorded Church Music. The piece at the start of the programme isn't an aisle prayer but an introit, effectively an anthem. The "aisle prayers" used at York Minster are just that, sung on one note by priest and choir and were a gift from King Henry VIII

[@ArchiveofRecordedChurchMusic]

You don't happen to know the name of that piece at the start of the programme, do you?

[@choirboyfromhell1]

Nice job Philip!

[@jimsims6879]

It is wonderful to hear this recording of Choral Evensong from the Minster. Many thanks. Canon Jim Sims, Holywood, Co. Down

[@ChorGesang]

thanks for that :-) Great to see this one. Where do you find this beautiful piece?

[@ArchiveofRecordedChurchMusic]

The Archive of Recorded Church Music has been searching and collecting choir recordings and broadcasts for over 15 years!

[@ChorGesang]

this videos are all out of your private archive?

[@ArchiveofRecordedChurchMusic]

Every upload on this youtube channel, whether audio or video, is from my private archive. You can read about my Archive on the website, www.recordedchurchmusic.org

[@ChorGesang]

Wow :-)))))))) Great job! I must have a look at your website and the rest of the videos, maybe I will download them for my own private archive ;-)

[@kesroner]

What is the tune the Lords Prayer is sung to? 28:00

[@jonb6417]

Shame about the anthem. Many watchers may not be aware that, in what has been called the greatest act of cultural vandalism ever to have occurred in British music, several years ago some genius at the BBC decided that it would be OK to destroy recordings of hundreds of past Radio 3 Choral Evensong broadcasts.

[@lordjesuschristhavemercyon3251]

How sad.

[@mortonbelcher]

What was the closing voluntary that Mr. John Scott Whiteley played? Does anyone recognize it? Thanks for any information you can tell me about that selection...

[@jonathangooing827]

The voluntary is 'Prelude in C' by Sir Edward Bairstow, organist of York Minster between 1913 and 1946.

[@remyworldpeace]

What is the very first thing sung? Wonderful recording.

[@ArchiveofRecordedChurchMusic]

Someone may be able to tell us! It's there in the back of my head but I cant quite place it!

[@remyworldpeace]

+Archive of Recorded Church Music The same! i'll rack my brains. Thank you

[@remyworldpeace]

+Archive of Recorded Church Music I've found it! It is William McKie: We wait for thy loving kindness, O God

[@ArchiveofRecordedChurchMusic]

Of course, how could I not have remembered that!

[@davidcrook4166]

Can I butt in? Wasn't this anthem originally composed for the wedding of HRH Princess Elizabeth (later HM Queen Elizabeth II) and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh in 1947? I remember it was sung at the Silver Wedding Anniversary Service in 1972 I loved it! (I still do...)

[@thesaucegroup1877]

6:13

[@user-qd9rh5yr8m]

I was there in the congregation

[@thesaucegroup1877]

Ooh nice. What was it like hearing the choir live?

[@user-qd9rh5yr8m]

@@thesaucegroup1877 sounded amazing to be honest

[@jackmorrison7379]

Nothing which follows refers to York Minster today (2020) or its clergy, congregation or choir. So wonderful to see Evensong in the days when it was done as a true piece of worship and liturgy, not an antiquarian ceremony by non-believers to charm the tourists (American in particular who just love British ceremony of any kind). A choir who turned to the altar and recited the words of the Creed joined by the congregation. In unison and not with lips defiantly closed as with some today seen on video in other places where Evensong is celebrated. Do a search of certain university choirs, and be appalled. These days in certain places allegedly within the Church, Evensong is a choral concert and a fusty piece of historical memorabilia masquerading as worship. Christians are limited to the clergy (one hopes) and a minor slice of the choir. Again I'm not talking about the Minster.

[@horationelson57]

Note well, in that this wonderful tradition of choral evensong has diminished because liturgy along with the the entire Judaeo-Christian ethic/civilisation has diminished as the UK rushes into the grubby, specious post modern world of neo paganism, Islam and Nihilism.