Sir Charles Villiers Stanford's setting of the Magnificat, in G. Sung by the choir of St. John's College, Cambridge. Nunc Dimittis available here: • Nunc Dimittis in G - S...
Morphthing. I dont know your past, but I sang all these as a young boy, and even toured England singing these in the cathedrals. Thank your for putting the time and effort into making all of these , it really stirred up a lot of memories for me. It started with a search for Vaughn Williams "Oh Taste and See" and I fell down the rabbit hole of memories. I forgot about the Palestrina until I heard it again, and I remembered all the notes. Its Amazing how we, as humans cant remember a phone number, but I can sing you the soprano part of Byrds "Agnus Die "note for note even after 40 years.
Hello Greg - I too found I remembered so much it isn't true! I was at Peterborough Cathedral under Dr. Douglas Hopkins in the mid-to-late 1940's. and I sang many Solos - including this wonderful Stanford in G. It all comes back - doesn't it! (Even Merbeck comes back!) What I find a bit disconcerting is to be able to remember and (mentally) sing works I cannot attribute - At Christmas we frequently sang, in sides, "Born Today! Born Today! Just men with Gladness (rpt) are saying (rpt) Glor . . . . . . . y to God! etc. It may even have been in Latin - and I think it was Michael Praetorius. I didn't tour, but I did become a Chorister at the Kings Chapel in the Savoy and used to sing in St.Paul's Cathedral with the massed choirs every Christmas (Messiah) and Easter (St.John's Passion) under Dr. Dykes-Bower and with the BBC in recordings under Thomas Beecham. "Oh Taste and See . . . " indeed!
Same here ! St Georges Chapel Windsor 1959-1964 under Sir William Harris and Sydney Campbell. I remember every note of this wonderful piece, even the organ accompaniment !
This is one of the best versions of magnificat. Stanford really wrote a masterpiece. I was so lucky to be together with the st Johns college choir in december 2010. They are absolutely the best choir in the World and this recording is just another proof.
I sang the alto part when I was 14, and then did the tenor and bass in subsequent years, but haven't sung it since I was 18. Lovely to hear it again, and thank you for posting.
@Amy5155 I did the solo when I was a boy, It was my favourite piece then and ill never forget it. I can remember how excited i was to finally get to perform the solo i'd heard older kids sing year after year. I hope it went well for you!
A very special piece indeed. Our choir performed this 'mag and nunc' as guests at evensong at St Columb's Cathedral Londonderry yesterday - not quite as well as St John's of course! The pace begins a just a fraction fast, but settles soon when the choir joins. Excellent, thankyou for posting.
I sang this as a soloist - I was part of a young Methodist Choir, and graduated to the adult choir, eventually dropping to alto. Now, I'm more of a Tenor. (I'm female)
AndreasQ2 Not at all. You see that these days all-male choirs are becoming more rare and so you have women singing the top two parts (treble/soprano [top part] and countertenor/alto [second part]; terminology depends on whether you have males or females). Now all-male choirs have a different (I would say superior) sound. Thus having Stanford sung in the proper English tradition with a boy soprano is much more desirable, especially to the ear. I can't think of many times I have enjoyed a woman singing what was originally a boy's solo part.
AndreasQ2 Not at all. You see that these days all-male choirs are becoming more rare and so you have women singing the top two parts (treble/soprano [top part] and countertenor/alto [second part]; terminology depends on whether you have males or females). Now all-male choirs have a different (I would say superior) sound. Thus having Stanford sung in the proper English tradition with a boy soprano is much more desirable, especially to the ear. I can't think of many times I have enjoyed a woman singing what was originally a boy's solo part.
It's funny in this Stanford Magnificat and also the Stanford in C, the composer really makes a startling (and amusing) key change because he's gone so far away from the main key and he wants to get the choir back to it as fast as possible. It happens at the same words too..."As he promised to our forefathers..." 2:27 . The transition from A-flat major to G major. In the Stanford in C the sudden key change is from G-flat major to G major.
In my experience (having sung in choirs, cathedral and country, for 65 years), girls and young ladies tend to sing in tune: boys tend to sing a little sharp when confident; later as men (tenors and basses) they tend to sing in tune; ladies, on the other hand, as both sopranos and altos, have a significant tendency to sing flat the older they become. It would be interesting to know whether there have been any physiological studies into the reasons for this.
The R S C M under Michael English a long time ago...was probably one of the most invidious, exasperating but talented choral conductor,musician and arranger from Edinburgh in those days ,who achieved the affable purity that made recording's like this .
As I expected. The English Choral tradition at its best. Weeping uncontrollably as I remember singing this stuff as a child, now forced to endure terrible drivel masquerading as church music as an adult :(
I wonder who the solo boy is in this? Was the performance around the same time as the upload: 2009? I think Stanford made a mistake bringing the solo boy right through the entirety of the Magnificat. The result is a long string of repetitive and frankly irritating high Gs. He over gilded the lily for sure. But the soloist, the choir and the organist are magnificent.
Morphthing. I dont know your past, but I sang all these as a young boy, and even toured England singing these in the cathedrals. Thank your for putting the time and effort into making all of these , it really stirred up a lot of memories for me. It started with a search for Vaughn Williams "Oh Taste and See" and I fell down the rabbit hole of memories. I forgot about the Palestrina until I heard it again, and I remembered all the notes.
Its Amazing how we, as humans cant remember a phone number, but I can sing you the soprano part of Byrds "Agnus Die "note for note even after 40 years.
Hello Greg - I too found I remembered so much it isn't true! I was at Peterborough Cathedral under Dr. Douglas Hopkins in the mid-to-late 1940's. and I sang many Solos - including this wonderful Stanford in G. It all comes back - doesn't it! (Even Merbeck comes back!) What I find a bit disconcerting is to be able to remember and (mentally) sing works I cannot attribute - At Christmas we frequently sang, in sides, "Born Today! Born Today! Just men with Gladness (rpt) are saying (rpt) Glor . . . . . . . y to God! etc. It may even have been in Latin - and I think it was Michael Praetorius. I didn't tour, but I did become a Chorister at the Kings Chapel in the Savoy and used to sing in St.Paul's Cathedral with the massed choirs every Christmas (Messiah) and Easter (St.John's Passion) under Dr. Dykes-Bower and with the BBC in recordings under Thomas Beecham. "Oh Taste and See . . . " indeed!
Same here ! St Georges Chapel Windsor 1959-1964 under Sir William Harris and Sydney Campbell. I remember every note of this wonderful piece, even the organ accompaniment !
INTERESTING THAT YOU SHOULD USE THE EXPRESSION 'RABBIT HOLE'. AS IN ALICE'S ADVENTURES?
llove this villiers stanford
This is one of the best versions of magnificat. Stanford really wrote a masterpiece. I was so lucky to be together with the st Johns college choir in december 2010. They are absolutely the best choir in the World and this recording is just another proof.
I sang the alto part when I was 14, and then did the tenor and bass in subsequent years, but haven't sung it since I was 18. Lovely to hear it again, and thank you for posting.
I miss singing so much this is beautiful that solo is breathtaking!
I love how you put the music up so we can follow it along. Beautiful display, beautiful music. Thanks for posting.
My favourite recording of one of my all time favourite pieces of Church music. Glory!
@Amy5155 I did the solo when I was a boy, It was my favourite piece then and ill never forget it. I can remember how excited i was to finally get to perform the solo i'd heard older kids sing year after year. I hope it went well for you!
This was my first solo on my own such good memories i had to sing the bit and hath exalted the humble and meek in my choir:)
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 150
Absolutely nailed that treble solo.
The treble soloist is Oliver Lepage-Dean.
I thought the solo is a teenage girl.
A very special piece indeed. Our choir performed this 'mag and nunc' as guests at evensong at St Columb's Cathedral Londonderry yesterday - not quite as well as St John's of course! The pace begins a just a fraction fast, but settles soon when the choir joins. Excellent, thankyou for posting.
Sang this as the soloist in bristol cathedral last summer and am doing it again tonight at my home church :D love this piece 3
This is so beautiful, our choir is going to perform it soon.. so excited!
I think this is wonderful, my nephew sings this in a Cathedral Choir in North Wales
In loving memory of Vincent Packford, a fine organist and an even greater friend who accompanied me as I sang the treble solo........
Yes, not a day goes by that I don't think of him..............
Wow. That gave me chills.
Is this not one of the most beautiful and perfect pieces of music ever written?
Yes !
I got to sing the Mag solo as a boy and have also done the Nunc solo as a bass. Not quite as exciting but I still love it. :)
I sang this as a soloist - I was part of a young Methodist Choir, and graduated to the adult choir, eventually dropping to alto. Now, I'm more of a Tenor. (I'm female)
Demonstrates the importance of doing scales and arpeggios!
you’re so right!
'Just sang the Magnificat in G in practice today...I think the premises of the Coventry Cathedral was filled with ministering Angels as we sang.
Heard that a treble was singing the solo: Instant like on this video.
What an odd comment.
AndreasQ2 Not at all. You see that these days all-male choirs are becoming more rare and so you have women singing the top two parts (treble/soprano [top part] and countertenor/alto [second part]; terminology depends on whether you have males or females). Now all-male choirs have a different (I would say superior) sound. Thus having Stanford sung in the proper English tradition with a boy soprano is much more desirable, especially to the ear.
I can't think of many times I have enjoyed a woman singing what was originally a boy's solo part.
AndreasQ2 Not at all. You see that these days all-male choirs are becoming more rare and so you have women singing the top two parts (treble/soprano [top part] and countertenor/alto [second part]; terminology depends on whether you have males or females). Now all-male choirs have a different (I would say superior) sound. Thus having Stanford sung in the proper English tradition with a boy soprano is much more desirable, especially to the ear.
I can't think of many times I have enjoyed a woman singing what was originally a boy's solo part.
@@Sathrandur I very like this one. th-cam.com/video/OiRgl_RMzUQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=yFMJRvDZ94keSnRG
It's funny in this Stanford Magnificat and also the Stanford in C, the composer really makes a startling (and amusing) key change because he's gone so far away from the main key and he wants to get the choir back to it as fast as possible. It happens at the same words too..."As he promised to our forefathers..." 2:27 . The transition from A-flat major to G major. In the Stanford in C the sudden key change is from G-flat major to G major.
Magnificent piece.
@joeyboi87 It's tricky to sing along too, the time signature is tricky, its tempting to get ahead of time!
In my experience (having sung in choirs, cathedral and country, for 65 years), girls and young ladies tend to sing in tune: boys tend to sing a little sharp when confident; later as men (tenors and basses) they tend to sing in tune; ladies, on the other hand, as both sopranos and altos, have a significant tendency to sing flat the older they become. It would be interesting to know whether there have been any physiological studies into the reasons for this.
77 uh
When I was a chorister I went sharp and dragged. Now I'm an old man (albeit a different style of church music) I go flat and race!
Hate the sharp.
sung this solo in 2005, this and the top treble in the Allegri misereri, perhaps the best treble solos around??
Has to be the BEST setting of the Mag.
Gibbons short service is better in my opinion
Leighton second service?
Gibbons interesting. But for large spaces Stanford kicks
My lifelong ambition to do this solo in cathedral and now i get to finally do it
The R S C M under Michael English a long time ago...was probably one of the most invidious, exasperating but talented choral conductor,musician and arranger from Edinburgh in those days ,who achieved the affable purity that made recording's like this .
Wonderful
Amazing
Greetings everyone. Robert Denton, Leeds Parish Church 1963 - 1971 (under the direction of Donald Hunt).
I'm singing this tomorrow with my choir I have the "as he promised" solo
Charming, simply charming. We can endure a sharp boy soprano for a charming performance.
You have very little understanding of what you're talking about.
lol
Wow I miss this!
Magnificant sound....
this is so beautiful!
I love this version of the canticles. :]
Love this!
This is a good version. I've done it myself with Herning Kirkes Drengekor
The soloist has a superb voice, but tends to be a bit sharp at times on the higher notes.
@aheura also very good, I always prefered singing the mag in dyson in f
Superb.
As I expected. The English Choral tradition at its best. Weeping uncontrollably as I remember singing this stuff as a child, now forced to endure terrible drivel masquerading as church music as an adult :(
kind regards max
die moet ik ook zinge
i sang this solo! probably pretty badly but i loved it :)
brianwilson49 You and me both, a loooooong time ago in Melbourne, Oz!
+brianwilson49 Is this Stuart Wilson?
no - sorry!
singing this tomorrow!
i sang this treble solo once upon a time
@drwestbury
this an dyson in D
I wonder who the solo boy is in this? Was the performance around the same time as the upload: 2009? I think Stanford made a mistake bringing the solo boy right through the entirety of the Magnificat. The result is a long string of repetitive and frankly irritating high Gs. He over gilded the lily for sure. But the soloist, the choir and the organist are magnificent.
Oh my God, I thought the solo is a teenage girl.
No definitely a boy treble.
@@BangkokVoiceCoach Because in my cathedral choir, my friend (she) have the same voice as this.
who is singing solo?
I think I've done the alto, tenor and bass parts in this, over the time it took my voice to break (1994 to 1996).
What is this voice! O_O.. surprising
our choir is the best and better than this choir but beautiful anyway
My lifelong ambition to do this solo in cathedral and now i get to finally do it