The precentor on this recording was Charles Wesley Evans, a black American baritone from the deep South (the Seraphic Fire choir itself is based in Miami). I think Evans' declamatory style suits Smith's sturdy and robust setting of the Preces quite well, but as any chorister knows, your precentor mileage may vary!
There are so many good settings of the Preces and Responses for Evensong, but I think this has to be my favourite. The "Amen" is a wonderful piece in its own right!
Thanks to the late Philip Ledger and the incomparable Choir of King's College Cambridge for their LP recording "Evensong for Ascension Day" (EMI 1980) which included this setting (together with Robert Stone's "Our Father").
I could not agree more! I first heard it at my school's carol service at St Michael's, Teignnmouth in 1976 the final prayers and benediction were said by the Vicar beforehand I heard the full preces and responses two years later on a BBC Choral Evensong from King's College, Cambridge, under the direction of Sir Philip Ledger.
This takes me right to the choir pews, crumple sheet music, off key cantor and sweet alto lines - I loved it all! Thanks for uploading these, please do more - Leighton Responses perhaps?
Of all the things I miss about Evensong, singing the Preces and Responses (Byrd, Smith, Sanders, and Rose, especially) has to be uppermost. Guarantee most church choristers could sing them all by memory alone, even subsequent to years removed from choral singing.
We sang it differently. After "world without end amen, another Preces, "Praise ye the Lord".Response: The Lord's, The Lord's, The Lord's Name be prai ai ai sed" Much more fun!Yes, the last Amen was so beautiful to sing!
Smith wrote this set prior to the changes in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. The Oxford University Press editors of the Tudor Preces and Responses made the change you sang.
@@dnkeane30 who's the cantor？ i never heard that term.., it means "singer" in my mother language, but i dont think that's what you are talking about LOL
The precentor on this recording was Charles Wesley Evans, a black American baritone from the deep South (the Seraphic Fire choir itself is based in Miami). I think Evans' declamatory style suits Smith's sturdy and robust setting of the Preces quite well, but as any chorister knows, your precentor mileage may vary!
DAYUM!❤🔥🔥 Gives me goosebumps everytime I listen. Stunning!
There are so many good settings of the Preces and Responses for Evensong, but I think this has to be my favourite. The "Amen" is a wonderful piece in its own right!
Thanks to the late Philip Ledger and the incomparable Choir of King's College Cambridge for their LP recording "Evensong for Ascension Day" (EMI 1980) which included this setting (together with Robert Stone's "Our Father").
Yeah, the final Amen is a classic bit of polyphony in a few bars.
I could not agree more! I first heard it at my school's carol service at St Michael's, Teignnmouth in 1976 the final prayers and benediction were said by the Vicar beforehand I heard the full preces and responses two years later on a BBC Choral Evensong from King's College, Cambridge, under the direction of Sir Philip Ledger.
Evensong is the very last bastion of beautiful and contemplatative respect for Anglican Christianity.
This takes me right to the choir pews, crumple sheet music, off key cantor and sweet alto lines - I loved it all! Thanks for uploading these, please do more - Leighton Responses perhaps?
Beautiful harmony.
Too exquisite for words!❤
oooh oooh! morphthing1 is back with a new upload!!! yay! Thanks bro :)
Thank you for coming back!
Of all the things I miss about Evensong, singing the Preces and Responses (Byrd, Smith, Sanders, and Rose, especially) has to be uppermost. Guarantee most church choristers could sing them all by memory alone, even subsequent to years removed from choral singing.
takes me back to being 8 years old.
Same
Too beautiful for words ❤
Thank you - I love these responses
So beautiful
I am glad at you are back again morph.
We sang it differently. After "world without end amen, another Preces, "Praise ye the Lord".Response: The Lord's, The Lord's, The Lord's Name be prai ai ai sed" Much more fun!Yes, the last Amen was so beautiful to sing!
Smith wrote this set prior to the changes in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. The Oxford University Press editors of the Tudor Preces and Responses made the change you sang.
love this!
Nice performance
Smith 5 Part, very nice 😍
0:03 Versicles
1:14 Kyrie
1:54 Preces
Brilliant tuning. I love those low thirds! How long did it
take to produce such fantastic tuning, and how many per part?
Gloria in Chinese:
榮耀都歸與聖父，聖子，聖靈，三一全能真神；
始初這樣，現今這樣，以後一直到永遠，無窮無盡。阿們。
Memories
The precentor sounds like the northern comedian 'Keith Lemon'.
OMG ... is the Cantor pissed?
Totally over the top . Madness. That’s what the hip flask before Evensong does for you!
He sounds like he's attempting some sort of overtone singing!
Indeed! Over-singing it and often he's emphasizing the wrong syllables in a line. He's very distracting.
@@dnkeane30 who's the cantor？ i never heard that term.., it means "singer" in my mother language, but i dont think that's what you are talking about LOL
😹😹😹😺
Our choir at Merton College is really wonderful these days.
What a god awful precentor!
agree, terrible!
You obviously haven't heard many bad precentors ;)
The best I heard was the Chaplain of King's College, Cambridge, who happens to be a former opera singer!
I rather think he is awe-full
Is he not a cantor? Not very good either way.
And take not thy Holy Spirit from uw
The precentor is really over-singing thing - it’s chant, not an opera!