Schola Cantorum

[j8000]

Thanks for sharing, its interesting to hear him from not long after he left the abbey.

He sang the solo in Britten's Te Deum in C at the Duke of Edinburgh's live televised memorial service earlier last year. This is just a couple of weeks before I heard him in the abbey's performance of the Monteverdi's Vespers:

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[Celtic]

Edit: For a very limited time only, a snippet of Tweedie at the end of Nov 2022...

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Oh, he is very good. Not seen that before. Thank you.

The recording doesn't entirely do it justice as this was just the built in mic on the camera, so you can imagine in person it was fantastic, one of those performances that just reaches inside and grabs you. During the interval to the Libera SJSS concert I was stood at the front by the stage chatting to a friend and I confidently stated to him that JT's performance in that concert would be the best treble solo I would hear that Xmas. Then of course, just to make me look like a complete idiot, FM dropped Ave Verum Corpus scant minutes later...

LOS had a re-run for a second charity a few weeks after that one, but JT, although still fantastic, didn't quite manage to hit the same level as he had in the above.

Thanks for sharing, its interesting to hear him from not long after he left the abbey.

He sang the solo in Britten's Te Deum in C at the Duke of Edinburgh's live televised memorial service earlier last year. This is just a couple of weeks before I heard him in the abbey's performance of the Monteverdi's Vespers:

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He was a regular on the solos for Wabbey performances. His was also one of the first solo voices I heard when places started to reopen from the pandemic, with the Wabbey announcing a last minute concert in July 2021.

Edit: I actually have three different videos of him doing the opening of Once in Royal David's City. A pandemic 9LC from 2020, a Songs of Praise recording and a "Royal Carols" one from 2021. He was quite prolific for the Wabbey and I always felt like he had the talent to have done well on YCOTY or as a solo entity. But I have also always got the impression that the Wabbey isn't the type of environment that encourages external opportunities. (Though I may be wrong.)

[Luckdragon]

Edit: For a very limited time only, a snippet of Tweedie at the end of Nov 2022...

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No sign of Sylvester, fortunately.

[Celtic]

Edit: For a very limited time only, a snippet of Tweedie at the end of Nov 2022...

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No sign of Sylvester, fortunately.

I tawt I taw a puddy tat...

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Sylvester2.jpg (274.27 KiB) Viewed 5408 times

Sylvester2.jpg (274.27 KiB) Viewed 5408 times

I did, I did, I did taw a puddy tat!!

He'll probably be ok, as long as he isn't singing Byrd...

[Surpinto]

Edit: For a very limited time only, a snippet of Tweedie at the end of Nov 2022...

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Oh, he is very good. Not seen that before. Thank you.

Yes he is, and clearly at the end of his treble career.

[j8000]

He features on James O'Donnell's last album with the abbey choir, due out shortly:

https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA68420

[Celtic]

He features on James O'Donnell's last album with the abbey choir, due out shortly:

https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA68420

Thanks for letting me know, I'll definitely be getting that. Freddie Ursell Beer and Benji Rimington were also great trebles. I heard all three in the St John Passion in April 2022, they then all left the Abbey together that summer.

Left to right in the front row - James, Freddie, Benji:

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[j8000]

He features on James O'Donnell's last album with the abbey choir, due out shortly:

https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA68420

Thanks for letting me know, I'll definitely be getting that. Freddie Ursell Beer and Benji Rimington were also great trebles. I heard all three in the St John Passion in April 2022, they then all left the Abbey together that summer.

Left to right in the front row - James, Freddie, Benji:

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Edward on the back row in that video was great as well, but sadly he didn't do much solo work for the abbey:

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[Padmachou]

I just attended the live-streamed concert of the "Upper Voices" from CVMS's Schola Cantorum. If some of you still haven't got interested in this choir, that has connexions with Libera, I really recommend you should try to attend their concerts. They are really good.

I just discovered Kaelan's talent, it's obviously one of my highlights...
I should also mention the Vivancos "Ave Maria" (the director mentioned he was inspired by a choir singing it during a festival... I bet it is the Escolania Montserrat ! ), with Daniel C doing the high notes, was stunning !
Malakai's "Pie Jesu" was of course fantastic, and it great to see that everyone shows so much support to him, clearly their are proud of his success with Britain Got Talent.
Also, there was a piece at the beginning of the concert, with many soloists, so we got to hear many voices, which is great ! LD's voice sounded great, I got goosebumps. I noticed NS figured in the programme but was missing.

Though I enjoyed it a lot, I would like for the kids to make little speeches, rather than the director (also, I don't know if he has an accent or just has poor diction, or if it was the sound of the livestream/church, but I could understand like 40% of what he said... which is unusual, I'm not so bad with english usually ). Also, I do not always like their repertoire, I would like to hear more "non-liturgical" pieces... I remember they used to sing more famous movie songs, a few years ago...

But they definitely have incredible soloists and a fantastic sound, and this live-streamed concert was a great way to end this day

[Celtic]

Oh my, that was just my perfect concert.

I arrived late and had to sit WAY back in the fourth row, but at least I was sat next to a fellow Liberan! When I looked through the programme it sounded good and I was of course delighted to see solos by Malakai and Kaelan, the former being very well known these days, but the latter is also a fantastic singer, I have heard him in a couple of operas. But the bit about the programme that excited me the most was that DW would get a new solo!

I had hoped to see more names get solos on the programme, and was slightly disappointed by that... until they opened with Hear My Prayer and there was a procession of wonderful soloists including FM, DC and MW amongst others. I mean what an opener, just hearing some of those voices again, for me in particular hearing DC who I still think was a big loss to Libera. To hear him do those high notes in the Vivancos Ave Maria later was also fantastic! By the way, Scott did actually mention it was the Montserrat choir that he got the song from, and yes that was the Nuremburg choral festival hosted by the Windsbacher Knabenchor last June. The exact performance that Scott heard at that festival to inspire him to add it to his own programme, has been posted here before.

That wonderful opener just made me grin from ear to ear, and the next few songs with solos from Kaelan, Patrick and Malakai were great. Then it was on to the aforementioned Vivancos which is just such a lovely piece and of course is a trebles and altos only piece, I also like that Scott re-arranges the singers before they start to get a more dynamic sound in this. Gaelic Blessing was fantastic it is such a stirring piece and was sung wonderfully and I loved the Panis Angelicus with Ludovico on the Cello who certainly is very gifted, as Scott described him.

After that was probably the only piece I didn't enjoy as much, which was the Vavilov/Caccini, the soloist was very good but it wasn't the usual arrangement of the piece which threw me a bit, but it was still very well sung.

Then we had Malakai's Pie Jesu... OMG those high notes, that tone and control, WOW...

Hearing a bit about how Scott encourages soloists and gets them all to try for Grade 5 singing was really interesting and really just reinforced my opinion, that I've shared here before, that Scott is a fantastic director who just knows how to get the best out of his soloists. After their singing of the joint Grade 5 piece, The Bird's Lament we then had the "final" piece Call of Wisdom with DW coming to the front for a solo. I was so so happy to hear him sing a solo again, particularly because his appearance still as an Alto means that Surpinto owes me a beer. But it's just great to hear more of his voice, for however long it still lasts.

Then a final encore of Try To Remember, which ironically Scott seemed to have difficulty remembering the name of (or was that a joke? ) with more solo work from Kaelan!

Just a really fantastic showcase of the upper voices of the choir. It has tempted me to make the trek to Devon in July...

[Luckdragon]

I just attended the live-streamed concert of the "Upper Voices" from CVMS's Schola Cantorum. If some of you still haven't got interested in this choir, that has connexions with Libera, I really recommend you should try to attend their concerts. They are really good.

Totally agree. I couldn't believe there were only about 20 people on the live stream. It was only £6, people!

I just discovered Kaelan's talent, it's obviously one of my highlights...

He was terrific. I'd seen him sing in a couple of videos before and he was one of the drei knaben (along with FM) in this year's ROH production of "The Magic Flute".

I should also mention the Vivancos "Ave Maria" (the director mentioned he was inspired by a choir singing it during a festival... I bet it is the Escolania Montserrat ! ), with Daniel C doing the high notes, was stunning !

Scott did mention Montserrat, although as you say below, it was really difficult to understand him.

Malakai's "Pie Jesu" was of course fantastic, and it great to see that everyone shows so much support to him, clearly their are proud of his success with Britain Got Talent.

Also, there was a piece at the beginning of the concert, with many soloists, so we got to hear many voices, which is great ! LD's voice sounded great, I got goosebumps. I noticed NS figured in the programme but was missing.

I was really pleased about this. First time I got to hear solos from LD and former member Daniel C... And then there was FM. Wow!

Though I enjoyed it a lot, I would like for the kids to make little speeches, rather than the director (also, I don't know if he has an accent or just has poor diction, or if it was the sound of the livestream/church, but I could understand like 40% of what he said... which is unusual, I'm not so bad with english usually ). Also, I do not always like their repertoire, I would like to hear more "non-liturgical" pieces... I remember they used to sing more famous movie songs, a few years ago...

It wasn't you. The sound from his microphone wasn't clear for some reason. Also, the organ was too loud in the live stream microphones.

I thought the song selection was OK and on the lighter side, as far as liturgical concerts go. The encore, "Try to Remember", was secular and the first time I'd heard it in a choral arrangement. Kaelan was great in this as well.


But they definitely have incredible soloists and a fantastic sound, and this live-streamed concert was a great way to end this day

Some screen captures I found posted elsewhere:

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[Padmachou]

Gaelic Blessing was fantastic it is such a stirring piece

Oh yes I did not mention it but it was great ! Way too short, I would have loved for it to go on

After that was probably the only piece I didn't enjoy as much, which was the Vavilov/Caccini, the soloist was very good but it wasn't the usual arrangement of the piece which threw me a bit, but it was still very well sung.

Actually I've only ever heard this arrangement sung by the Schola Cantorum, but I agree with you, it's not the best one. Somehow the rythm prevents me from this flying sensation I usually get with this song.

Hearing a bit about how Scott encourages soloists and gets them all to try for Grade 5 singing was really interesting and really just reinforced my opinion, that I've shared here before, that Scott is a fantastic director who just knows how to get the best out of his soloists.

Hum, yeah, I guess that is the speech I could understand the less, is that when he asked something and some kids got their hands up in the air ? And then an other question and an other kid got his hand up ? What was that about ?

I thought the song selection was OK and on the lighter side, as far as liturgical concerts go.

Oh yeah, it was ! It is just me wishing for more secular songs, but I really enjoyed the concert anyway.

Yes, the encore was really good. I would have agreed for one more song Or maybe three !

[Celtic]

I was really pleased about this. First time I got to hear solos from LD and former member Daniel C... And then there was FM. Wow!

I forgot to mention FM! Yes, his solo in that opener was fantastic and was a reminder of the voice that has made Ave Verum Corpus such a stunner for Libera.

Actually I've only ever heard this arrangement sung by the Schola Cantorum, but I agree with you, it's not the best one. Somehow the rythm prevents me from this flying sensation I usually get with this song.

That's exactly my problem with it, I'm waiting to be carried away by the soaring voice, but this arrangement doesn't do it!

Hum, yeah, I guess that is the speech I could understand the less, is that when he asked something and some kids got their hands up in the air ? And then an other question and an other kid got his hand up ? What was that about ?

The first lot of hands up were all the singers who had already done Grade 5 singing, the second lot of hands up were the ones doing it this year.

Yes, the encore was really good. I would have agreed for one more song Or maybe three !

I know right? I could have listened for twice that long, to those voices!

[Surpinto]

Thanks for the reviews and analysis! Not being in the UK I paid the very reasonable cost of livestream access which I had to watch later (we were emailed an unlisted link to YouTube, and the video is still up). It was a nice concert with top rate singing

I was totally shocked that DW had a solo in the upper range of his voice, by now I would have guessed that range would be inaccessible to him. How wrong I was.

[j8000]

An interview with Scott Price here, which I don't think has been posted yet:



Interesting hearing about the range of abilities in the choir but how keen most of them are to do solos.