St Paul’s Service (Herbert Howells): St Paul’s Cathedral 1978 (Barry Rose)

From a live BBC radio broadcast from St Paul’s Cathedral London, 20 December 1978, with the choir of St Paul’s Cathedral, directed by Barry Rose, and Christopher Dearnley (organ). Because of the season in which it was performed, the Magnificat is preceded and followed by the antiphon “O dayspring, brightness of light everlasting.” Herbert Howells composed this setting of the Evening canticles in October 1951.
This upload is part of our 125th Anniversary tribute to Howells - please read the press release for further details : ymlp.com/zQKEBO

[@originaltommy]

STUNNING!!! Even all the hair I've lost is standing on end!

[@ComeAndSingLondon]

I feel enormous pride to have been a treble in the choir in this performance: it's a work that never ceases to fill with awe and wonder and there was always that will and desire, under Barry Rose's inspirational direction, to fill that enormous space with this powerful, heart-stopping music. My childish self would count the length of the echo at the end of the Gloria! I have heard and loved many other performances, and even commissioned one for a successful recording (Naxos, St John's Cambridge) but the visceral power and seemingly endless legato of St Paul's under Barry Rose puts it top of the list, even without my own connection to it. Antiphon is a perfect musical match.

[@ArchivesofSound]

Many Guildford ex-choristers would second your comments. Sadly, the St Paul's service wasn't in our repertoire - perhaps Barry thought it would have been beyond us! We had to settle for Coll Reg as a substitute.

[@platypus4719]

This was the last service we sang as the main choir of the RSCM, Addington Palace in 1974. We were disbanded by the new Director of the college for reasons unfathomable. We also sang the Rose responses of course. Still brings a lump to my throat. A few weeks earlier we sang the Collegium Regale at Chicheser. Very different mood. This is such a lovely version.

[@catbird-dq7ri]

Astounding. Thank you.

[@ringeradam4575]

Brilliant! And that antiphon before it is very nice too

[@Toledo1940]

WOW! This is Barry Rose at his very best. Many thanks for posting!

[@nickconbrio5310]

"My soul doth magnify therl Ord... regarded therl 'oliness... hum-ball and meek"! Just being picky; Barry's choirs all had beautifully clear diction - I think those idiosyncrasies far preceded his tenure. Fabulous power and quality from the trebles, and the tenors are well-blended in this. Stunning organ sound too. Howells never really grabbed me, but I don't mind Coll. Reg. and 'Like as the hart'.

[@mikepen3477]

Surely a definitive performance ... the st pauls service sung by the eponymous st pauls cathedral and conducted by the renowned Barry Rose.

[@richardharrold9736]

The recording at St Paul's from John Scott's last Evensong in 2004 is pretty special too.

[@PMS1950]

This is a beautiful interpretation. Is it John Scott conducting and Christopher Dearnley playing, I wonder?? The recording catches that heart stopping moment in the Nunc, where time is brought to a standstill and one is filled with warmth and wonder. At least, I am seem to be. It's the St Paul's acoustic and the matchless trebles. Never bettered.

[@ArchiveofRecordedChurchMusic]

No, this is Barry Rose's choir, so Barry would have been conducting and Christopher playing. (Before John Scott's time.)

[@PMS1950]

@@ArchiveofRecordedChurchMusic I remember Barry when he started as DoM at Guildford. Certainly one of our finest choir trainers and musicians. Sadly he committed the big error like so many before him of upsetting the blessed ranks of senior clergy at St. Paul's. Martin Neary another victim of the religious establishment.

[@ArchivesofSound]

@@PMS1950 Just to set the record straight, what happened at St Paul's did not involve Barry upsetting the clergy. That's not to say they necessarily liked him.

[@PMS1950]

@@ArchivesofSound Well, that was the reason given in one of the broadsheet papers at the time.

[@ArchiveofRecordedChurchMusic]

@@PMS1950 You shouldn't believe everything you read in the papers!

[@michaelthwaite3282]

I have a CD recording by St Paul's choir of this service, which I feel is much better. The reason? There is either an imbalance in the sound recording of the treble part or there is a single treble voice that is too prominent. For me, this tends to detract from the overall performance. Re: Thomas Gonder's experience with his hair - I felt the same singing this (as a counter-tenor) in Lincoln Cathedral.

[@rjohnatkinson5023]

Did he adjust his style-and tempo- to the acoustics of te building he was writing for? Thanks forthis.

[@ArchiveofRecordedChurchMusic]

Another of our uploads might help answer your question: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jZO7hq1ue7d4l9U

[@kennethpalmowski-wolfe7923]

Yes. And not only that: hiis settings were custom-composed for the style of the choirs (which are undoubtedly influenced by the acoustics they sing in daily).

[@originaltommy]

@@kennethpalmowski-wolfe7923 Indeed. Gloucester, anyone? ;-)

[@beng7716]

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