Eton Choir Book - Huelgas - Sat 7th Feb 1pm

[ardcarp]

The Huelgas Ensemble directed by Paul van Nevel sing 15th-century English polyphony from the sumptuous Eton Choirbook at the 2014 International Sacred Music Festival in Fribourg, Switzerland. Their programme features a seven-voice Salve Regina, the only known work by John Sutton - its first-ever UK broadcast - and the Stabat Mater for six voices by the leading composer in the Eton Choirbook, John Browne

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b051c9t1

[Guest]

Excellent news!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Excellent news!

[Roehre]

seconded

[Miles Coverdale]

Both the Sutton and Browne are on their CD of Eton. It will be interesting to see if they do any pieces not on the CD.

[jean]

I was especially looking forward tom the John Browne Stabat Mater but there were accidentals I wasn't familiar with and didn't like...and was that actually a wrong note at Videns fere criminosa...?

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[Nick Armstrong]

What an absolutely gorgeous programme. I love the Huelgas Ensemble. That first piece by the otherwise unknown Mr Sutton was fantastic!

[ardcarp]

I was especially looking foprward tom the John Browne Stabat Mater but there were accidentals I wasn't familiar with and didn't like...and was that actually a wrong note at Videns fere criminosa...?

I'll have to have a more careful listen. It's one of the few ECB numbers I've sung, so Ill dig out my copy. All I'd say is that transcribing 500-year-old music involves certain 'decisions' which will vary from one editor to another. I heard the whole programme on the car radio and really loved it. The sopranos captured (what I think of as) the English discant style. The men, with very straight voices, sounded immediately different from English consort singers. Their slightly 'rough' tone seemed to suit the music well....though of course, who can know, etc, etc

What a great hour of music for a Saturday lunchtime.

[Guest]

Absolutely endorse ardcarp's take.
I'm a great admirer of the Huelgas Ensemble.
Unfussy, carefully but not oppressively scholarly, 'straight' voice production, and ensemble is indeed their watchword. Real pleasure.

[Miles Coverdale]

I was especially looking forward tom the John Browne Stabat Mater but there were accidentals I wasn't familiar with and didn't like...and was that actually a wrong note at Videns fere criminosa...?

There were a couple of wrong notes at that point, but the singers may be forgiven the odd slip, given how complex this music is.

I did find Mr Van Nevel's approach to ficta rather eccentric, to say the least. For example, why have B natural in the Medius part at the end of bar 6, but not in the identical figure a bar later in the Triplex? I also find the way he sometimes pulls the tempo around, presumably for expressive effect, a bit distracting. Still, full marks for programming this music in a concert.

[ardcarp]

I also find the way he sometimes pulls the tempo around, presumably for expressive effect, a bit distracting.

I don't. There is a sort of agreement about the 'tactus' or beat among scholars which is that it was unvarying..presumably based on the assumption that when singing from part-books (or at least a separate part of the page in the case of the ECB) it was the only way to stay together. That possibly underestimates...though we can't know... the skill of singing boys and men of the time; but as you hint, slight variations in dynamics and tempo help to make (what is for some) slightly arcane music more accessible. In some ways bringing music to life will always transcend the mere dots on the paper.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Depends what you mean by "accessible".

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Depends what you mean by "some".

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Depends what you mean by "life".

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Depends on what you mean by "mere dots".