CE returns to 3pm from April

[cat]

That didn't last long. Having recently moved to 4pm, from April Choral Evensong on Wednesdays is returning to 3pm. Composer of the Week is moving from 12pm to 4pm.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2024/new-classical-music-programming-tv-radio

[W.Kearns]

Never mind moving the Wednesday afternoon CE, this sounds like a major turnabout.

[DracoM]

Odd move: if your choir depends on trebs etc coming from local schools eg St Alban's, then a 3 p.m. start more or less cuts those kids out of whole afternoon school.
A 4 p.m. start at least more nearly fits school schedules.
So why and who is behind this move?

[oddoneout]

Odd move: if your choir depends on trebs etc coming from local schools eg St Alban's, then a 3 p.m. start more or less cuts those kids out of whole afternoon school.
A 4 p.m. start at least more nearly fits school schedules.
So why and who is behind this move?

Ending live broadcasts?

[mopsus]

Odd move: if your choir depends on trebs etc coming from local schools eg St Alban's, then a 3 p.m. start more or less cuts those kids out of whole afternoon school.
A 4 p.m. start at least more nearly fits school schedules.
So why and who is behind this move?

Or a tidy mind wanting the same programme at 4pm every weekday and not thinking of the practicalities for other broadcasting.

[Caussade]

Ending live broadcasts?

A 4pm broadcast will usually entail a 2pm balance test, so it's hardly the case that this allows a full afternoon in the classroom anyway. Round these parts school for Yr 3-8 finishes around 3pm. And it's not like these things get scheduled at the drop of a hat, is it? There's plenty of time for everyone involved to plan, and if a school is supplying choristers it's a reasonable assumption that they'lee be supportive of an event that happens at most once a year.

[LMcD]

Elsewhere on the Forum, the term 'rebooting' has been used in connection with the changes that have been announced. 'Putting the boot in' might be a more suitable choice of words.

[Petrushka]

3pm seems a bit early to be called 'evensong' anyway, especially on summer afternoons. I've always thought of Evensong as being around 5.30 or 6.30 as it was in my old choir days.

[mopsus]

3pm seems a bit early to be called 'evensong' anyway, especially on summer afternoons. I've always thought of Evensong as being around 5.30 or 6.30 as it was in my old choir days.

I have certainly sung it that early in the past with visiting choirs, but I think it has been pushed slightly later now in many places. Gloucester seems to be holding out with Sunday evensong at 3 pm. Bath Abbey has Evensong at 3.30 (was 3.15 till a few years ago), as do Durham and Winchester. It made for a scramble on the Sunday if you were singing with a visiting group, but did leave plenty of time to return home. I was told by someone who used to take early Sunday evensongs at St Alban's Cathedral that she had to be careful, especially in summer, not to use hymns and prayers about nightfall and going to rest.

However, the 'lunchtime' evensong repeat broadcast during last year's Proms felt very odd.

[Keraulophone]

I have certainly sung it that early in the past with visiting choirs, but I think it has been pushed slightly later now in many places. Gloucester seems to be holding out with Sunday evensong at 3 pm. Bath Abbey has Evensong at 3.30.

In many cathedrals Evensong is sung earlier on Sundays than on weekdays. In Truro: Sunday at 4pm, weekdays at 5.30pm.

It feels strange to be singing ‘The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended’ with the mid-afternoon sun streaming though the clerestory windows.

[cat]

I often wonder what time Cranmer intended for evensong, given that he thought it appropriate to copy the collect which contains "defend us from all perils and dangers of this night" straight from Compline.

Looking for anecdotes, I find:

"On Saturday, the 4th day of October, 1623, the Prince landed at Portsmouth in the afternoon, between two and three of the clock, the people being then at evening prayer"

On the other hand we have from the diary of Ralph Thoresby in 1709:

"I was much affected at prayers in the evening at St Laurence Church, and in singing etc, which method is used in many churches at eight of the clock, after the shops are shut, and persons more at leisure"

[Pulcinella]

I'm a bit confused.
How does CE fit into this description, unless it is indeed a concert/performance, as several contributors often say.

• Strengthening its commitment to live and specially-recorded music, Radio 3 introduces a three-hour weekday afternoon programme from Salford, Classical Live, showcasing the best performances from the UK and beyond, recorded by the BBC and our partners in the European Broadcasting Union

Equally, how can something recorded be called Classical Live.

Broken Britain, shattered R3.

[oddoneout]

I'm a bit confused.
How does CE fit into this description, unless it is indeed a concert/performance, as several contributors often say.

• Strengthening its commitment to live and specially-recorded music, Radio 3 introduces a three-hour weekday afternoon programme from Salford, Classical Live, showcasing the best performances from the UK and beyond, recorded by the BBC and our partners in the European Broadcasting Union

Equally, how can something recorded be called Classical Live.

Broken Britain, shattered R3.

They allocate an hour out of the Wednesday Classical Live(agree about the use of "live" but that term was redefined quite some time ago, so as to include recordings)
13:00-16:00 Classical Live (Mon-Fri)/ Live from Wigmore Hall (13:00 -14:00 on Mondays)/ Choral Evensong (Wednesdays, 15:00 – 16:00 – moves an hour earlier)
If they hadn't extended Breakfast and EC, moving CotW then CE could have stayed at 4 pm?
I suppose in this day and age we should count ourselves lucky that there is still any slot for CE...

[LMcD]

[QUOTE=Pulcinella;n1299789]I'm a bit confused.
How does CE fit into this description, unless it is indeed a concert/performance, as several contributors often say.

• Strengthening its commitment to live and specially-recorded music, Radio 3 introduces a three-hour weekday afternoon programme from Salford, Classical Live, showcasing the best performances from the UK and beyond, recorded by the BBC and our partners in the European Broadcasting Union

Equally, how can something recorded be called Classical Live .QUOTE}

As far as the state of the nation and of Radio 3 is concerned, sadly I cannot but agree with you! .
Regarding 'Classical Live', I presume that, definitely in the case of the European orchestras, and probably in the case of most of the BBC's, the programme will comprise recordings of live concert or studio performances. A bit like TTN, really ....

[Andrew Slater]

Regarding 'Classical Live', I presume that, definitely in the case of the European orchestras, and probably in the case of most of the BBC's, the programme will comprise recordings of live concert or studio performances. A bit like TTN, really ....

I think it will be Afternoon Concert under a different name - just look at yesterday's playlist: recordings from the BBC and the EBU.