organist wrote:I was there too and really enjoyed it although I wasn't happy about Vespers being entirely in Latin or the style of the cantors' singing. But I'm a fan of Worth and Belmont! And I don;t like Naji Hakim's improvisations! Tsume your excellent remarks could form the basis of an article in M usic and Liturgy - how about it? I was going to offer one but I haven;t got the time. I concentrated on the workshops dealing with chant in English. Fr Peter was excellent. The abbot of Downside started by saying he was a poor replacement for our dear Alan Rees! It was good to see Westminster Cathedral music staff (3 of them) and many old friends. Well done Nick!
Is the Academy of St Cecelia still going? I joined last year in and was duly admitted as a "Fellow" but have received nothing in the way of communications since.............
I was also made a fellow but I haven't heard from them either! The Society's chant day "Sing and pray" at Westminster Cathedral was excellent. Well attended and well presented too. I go to Vespers there every Saturday and I found the careful preparation inspiring and helpful. I just love the solemn Salve Regina and we sang it at All Saints Day vespers and I found I knew it really well.
Interesting comment on the Solemn Salve Regina. When I first heard it sung, I thought 'This is grim' but the more you hear it the more it gets under the skin. I am not sure who was organist at the All Saints Vespers but they improvised a decent toccatta on the solemn theme.
Another interesting treatemnt of the solemn Salve Regina theme can be heard in Manari's Concert Study on Salve Regina recorded, at York Minster, by John Scott Whiteley.
Yes it was a great improvisation on the theme that night and as I was crucifer I was in the right spot to join with the men singing the Salve! Matthew did an inspired improvisation on "Nimrod" before vespers on Remembrance Sunday! I don't know that recording but I have met John Scott Whiteley.
St. Simon Stock, Ashford (Kent, not Middlesex), Saturday 15th November, begins 11am, concludes 5:30pm with Mass. Details in the parish newsletter: http://www.stsimon.org.uk/Newsletters/current.pdf
