If you thought the BBCS sound inappropriate...

[french frank]

Welcome, BH!

You strike a chord with me: Wrocław, a very interesting city, fine cathedral, historic university quarter, beautiful botanic gardens. I'm sure the singing is worthy of such a lovely place, though I didn't have the chance to hear any ...

[mangerton]

Welcome, BH!

You strike a chord with me: Wrocław, a very interesting city, fine cathedral, historic university quarter, beautiful botanic gardens. I'm sure the singing is worthy of such a lovely place, though I didn't have the chance to hear any ...

Indeed. I was in a choir which sang here in 1982.:

http://www.wroclaw-life.com/culture/...ula_Leopoldina

[mopsus]

Some indication of Wrocław's musical health may be given by this recent disc:

http://www.signumrecords.com/catalog...80/index.shtml

[JFLL]

Wrocław, a very interesting city, fine cathedral, historic university quarter, beautiful botanic gardens..........

... and among other things the birthplace of Otto Klemperer, the university which gave Brahms an honorary degree and thus gave the world the Academic Festival Overture, and with a fine book about it by Norman Davies and Roger Moorhouse. (It's still 'Breslau' to me, as an inveterate germanophile -- not that I'm a polonophobe, let me add).

[Finzi4ever]

Many great recordings. I doubt WCC would be capable of anything special these days. It's a choir that has been going down hill for at least 10 years.

Is no one in the know going to challenge this statement? I would be most unlike this board for it not to be. Sadly not having heard them in the flesh for longer than the stated 10 years I am not in a position to comment, but do find it surprising.

[ardcarp]

Yes he did mean Westminster Cathedral Choir

[ardcarp]

Is no one in the know going to challenge this statement? I would be most unlike this board for it not to be. Sadly not having heard them in the flesh for longer than the stated 10 years I am not in a position to comment, but do find it surprising.

I haven't heard them in the flesh lately either, but I too find it surprising. I'm not sure if Chris Watson sings there any more, but I'm sure he could comment, tactfully or otherwise, if he is logged on.

[Chris Watson]

Hi Ardcarp. I was in there last week for a couple of recording sessions, as it happens, and they were on excellent form. Not quite sure what Mr Byrd is talking about. The sound is certainly not the same as it was in James's time, but it is still definitely the Drome sound, and the boys were singing very strongly. It was my first time in since the Pope service and I enjoyed it very much.
Not sure if I remember ever singing Byrd Justorum there, but I quite like the recording I made with my Oxford-based chamber choir a couple of years ago http://www.amazon.co.uk/Requiem-Sospiri/dp/B003YCM0JA (is self promotion allowed?)
Wrocław is a wonderful place, by the way. I am lucky enough to have spent quite a lot of time there with the Gabrielis over the last few years, and I can heartily recommend it as a place to visit. There are some lovely musicians there too.

[paul duggan2]

Is no one in the know going to challenge this statement? I would be most unlike this board for it not to be. Sadly not having heard them in the flesh for longer than the stated 10 years I am not in a position to comment, but do find it surprising.

I hear it's not the 'happiest' choir in the world - but that's not really relevant I suppose

[WmByrd]

I can only base it on what I have heard in services when I have dropped in over the last while. The character is the same but standards seem to have slipped. A mixture of corporate and individual. Have there been big changes that might have caused this? I know JO'D left, but have circumstances changed?