Already, this Grande tour des Londres
has been a trip of firsts. Last night I attended my very first
concert Henry Wood's Promenade series, or the BBC Proms as they're
now ubiquitously known, and earlier that afternoon found myself
behind the wheel trying desperately to find the biting point on the
clutch of a manual car. What a time to be alive! Suffice to say I
will be endeavouring to find myself an automatic when I finally take
serious driving lessons (will I even be in this country though?), as
the critical lack of spacial awareness that means I can't use the
pedalboard correctly also takes a serious toll on my ability to use
three pedals in a car. Laugh all you like (as I'm sure many of you
do), but I literally have no idea what's going on at the end of my
legs. It's ridiculous.
Anyway. The Proms. After queueing for
what seemed like less than a half hour, and possibly recognising and
being recognised myself (I could be more certain, and their
expression seemed to indicate that they'd seen a ghost), we entered
the Royal Albert Hall, a building I have never set foot in before.
The late Prom last night was the Tallis Scholars, singing a program
of motets by Gesualdo, who is remembered as not only an Italian noble
and composer, but also an insane murderer, and the Missa Gloria Tibi
Trinitas by John Taverner. Gesualdo is most famously known even
outside of madrigalist circles as the composer of some of the most
chromatic and chaotic pieces in the repertoire; in fact, it would not
be a completely ridiculous statement to say that this kind of
approach to chromaticism and treatment of harmonic texture was
repeated until the early twentieth century. In the late 16th
and early 17th century in Italy there was
an experimental approach to chromaticism and temperament, as can be
seen in the works of Claudio Merulo and Girolamo Frescobaldi, most
notably in their organ works, where the sustained tone and
transparent ripieno
chorus was well suited to allowing the shifting nature of the
temperament to show its own colours, rather than those developed from
the pipes themselves. Anyway, I'm getting away from the point.
Taverner's
Missa Gloria Tibi Trinitas (hereafter GTT) is one of the great works
of Old England, and I do mean old. Just like his other masses of
note, Missa L'homme Arme and “The Westerne Wynde” mass, it is a
'Cantus Firmus' mass, where the melody it is named after forms the
core of the points of imitation, a popular technique of his time.
For whatever reason, the plainsong melody that begins the 'In Nomine'
(in the alto, of course) section of the Benedictus became something
on its own, and spawned the In Nomine genre, very specifically
English, which lasted itself for around 150 years as an unbroken
tradition. The 'In Nomine' melody was set as the point of imitation
for polyphonic compositions, called fantasias, both consorted and
solo instrumentation. Many of these survive in the Mulliner Book,
where the consort fantasies have been transcribed (originally onto
one great 12 line stave) for keyboard. Notably, Thomas Tomkins, the
'last Elizabethan', was responsible for many keyboard settings (not
only of the In Nomine but also of other plainsong chants that had
long fallen out of fashion) alongside his fine consort settings, and
John Dowland even set it as a Lute Fantasia, called “Farewell In
Nomine”. Orlando Gibbons' infamous piece for viols and voyces in
consert, The Cries of London,
is also an In Nomine.
On
first hearing without a score to follow, the GTT is quite amazing.
It sounds very much like the lower voices are more together in their
tessitura, but then this terrifyingly high treble part is sat on top.
The effect is frankly staggering. I would say that the complexity
of the mass itself on the whole is not beyond the average Cathedral
Choir, just a matter of treble stamina! This of course reminds me
once again of the great pitch standard debates, and having
subsequently looked at the score (where the high thirds in the Treble
part are in fact F sharps), can't help but wonder at why in God's
name they transposed up...
The
only real detraction from the effect was that it was performed in the
truly cavernous acoustic of the RAH. Say what you like about the
size of the acoustic in Lincoln Cathedral (where the GTT would have
doubtlessly been sung), I doubt the polyphony and counterpoint would
have got quite as lost as last night. I'm sure listeners to the
simultaneous broadcast on Radio 3 would have got the most benefit
from it. It may not be chamber music, but maybe it should have been
a chamber prom. Who am I to criticise, anyway? It was certainly
quite an experience,even if I didn't get one of those plush looking
seats to park myself in. Oh well. Maybe next time? Will there be a
next time?
The
greatest problem I actually faced last night was in fact that I had
to leave my phone (which of course is camera and media player in one)
behind on charge, and thus took no pictures of the night at all.
What a shambles.
Hiatus
It
is now Thursday evening. The weather has cleared up somewhat, and
I'm back at the keys. Today was entirely more sedate than yesterday
with its 7am start and four hour journey. This time, we attempted to
access the Speech Room of Harrow School, high on the hill (pardon?),
but were thwarted once more by locked doors! Instead, we made to to
St. Mary's of Harrow (on the hill), a rather nice church with an
exceptionally fine organ inside it, a very complete 3 manual and
pedal Lewis: Cornet Separe on the choir (also enclosed), 16/8/4 high
pressure reeds in the Swell box (but available on the Great), a
devastating pedal Trombone, a top notch Great and a pleasing Swell
chorus (shame about the lack of 16 in the box though). A crisp and
responsive Electro-Pneumatic action, and a Pedalboard that I could at
least agree with. Plenty of pictures taken and even a few of me! At
present, I'm taking in some fresh air in the Garden, while waiting
for a dinner of kebabs and rice, before striking out to a local
public house later this evening. The plan today was
to go to the Great British Beer Festival, but at £10 for entrance
things could have gotten out of hand quickly, and I'm in no position
to allow that. I haven't changed any sterling to the mighty Swedish
Kroner... There isn't even that long now until
the tour, let alone once I get back. I'm looking forward to it, if a
little disappointed that there isn't that much to sing: Two services
and two concerts. I am however, a noted workaholic as far as choral
service is concerned. Remembering the tour to Exeter I took with
Derby many years ago, the 8am rehearsals were actually rather
enjoyable! I just hope I don't get too bored, with not terribly much
singing and that visit to a water park (oy gevalt) that's timetabled.
That's
quite enough for now. There's another entire day down here, and then
the trip along to Worcester on Saturday...and then the 6 hours on the
train back to Truro! Plenty of time to do more things and look back.
Just as long as my phone doesn't run out of battery again.
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