St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge April 1st 6.30 p.m.

[DracoM]

from St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge

Ouseley: O Saviour of the world
Ouseley: Is it nothing to you?
John Goss: O Saviour of the world
Stainer: The Crucifixion


BBC Singers
Stephen Farr (organ)
Paul Brough (director).

[jillfc]

Where is everyone? In the absence of any comment, may The Choir's resident atheist put in her three ha'porth? As a choirgirl in the 50s/60s, I found The Crucifixion pretty unpalatable: overblown, over-sentimental and overlong. I'm not about to say that those faults have dissipated over the years but as a result, I suppose, of age and experience I have much more respect now for what Stainer was trying to do and a much greater capacity to listen with a more open mind and less closed ears. In consequence, I am finding this semi-pro, semi-amateur but wholly sincere performance very moving - but from a humanist, rather than religious, perspective. That probably shouldn't be surprising; what is, for me, is that though I don't think I've heard the piece for 40-odd years, it is all entirely familiar. Illustrative, I suppose, of the power of getting something into your head at an early age.

[Simon]

Where is everyone? In the absence of any comment, may The Choir's resident atheist put in her three ha'porth? As a choirgirl in the 50s/60s, I found The Crucifixion pretty unpalatable: overblown, over-sentimental and overlong. I'm not about to say that those faults have dissipated over the years but as a result, I suppose, of age and experience I have much more respect now for what Stainer was trying to do and a much greater capacity to listen with a more open mind and less closed ears. In consequence, I am finding this semi-pro, semi-amateur but wholly sincere performance very moving - but from a humanist, rather than religious, perspective. That probably shouldn't be surprising; what is, for me, is that though I don't think I've heard the piece for 40-odd years, it is all entirely familiar. Illustrative, I suppose, of the power of getting something into your head at an early age.

Good to read such a fair and honest comment.

I'd only add a) that my respect for what he was trying to do has also increased the more I've sung the work (which hasn't been that often recently) and b) that the familiarity of it may well be due to what you say, Jillfc, but it may also be due to the fact that Stainer was able to write great melodic lines with lots of hooks!

[ardcarp]

Where is everyone?

I heard it (on a long car journey...just got home) but haven't much to say about it, except that not having had anything to do with the work since childhood, I could remember every note and every word.

[mangerton]

Where is everyone? In the absence of any comment, may The Choir's resident atheist put in her three ha'porth? As a choirgirl in the 50s/60s, I found The Crucifixion pretty unpalatable: overblown, over-sentimental and overlong.

Agreed! The best I have to say for it is that it's not Maunder's From Olivet to Calvary which (IMO) has all the faults of The Crucifixion to a greater degree.

In answer to your question, when the BBC Singers were on, I was in a local church singing music for Holy Week. Of course, the programme included God so loved the world.