Here are the recordings from the combined choirs (Caecilian Choir, Latin Mass Choir, HS Schola) of St. Mary's, Sleepy Eye, at a Service of Sacred Music for Lent on Sunday afternoon. About 50-60 voices in all (I didn't take attendance). Taken on an iPad in front, so you can hear the congregation very strongly on the hymns. Highlights for me were the Adoramus Te, Christe, Allegri's Adoremus, Lift High the Cross, and Dear Lord and Father of Mankind.
Neither of the Rheinberger pieces turned out as well as they justly should have, given how they went in rehearsal.
The organ has become my pride and joy. It's been built/rebuilt 3 times:
1907 Bernard Schaefer of Wisconsin. Originally two divisions. Most of the flues, principals, strings &c. from that period.
1947 Wicks redid the action (had been tubular, became electric), put all the pipes into two chambers over three divisions (wrecking a remarkable case in the process) and added the reeds (an English Horn, a Trumpet, and a Clarinet [this one is actually very, very nice], all extended -- an Oboe Gamba served the purpose of reed on the 1907 build).
2011 restored and redone by the Moe Pipe Organ Company of Wadena, Minn. Completely redid the action on the console, did some major repair work. Don't know how much voicing was involved (wasn't here at the time).
In short, beautifully up-to-date electronics, 150 memory levels, 12 generals, 6 divisionals (could use 8 and would kill for a Gt/Ped Combination Coupler, however), nice action, with a vintage set of ivories and a rich Romantic tonal palette that you can't beat. Wish the reeds were as old as the rest of the pipes.
Actually, In the spirit of "waste not, want not," it is still there, on the Swell. It does a fairly passable job. As I do not have an Oboe still, if I am in dire need it does the trick.
Good job here. This is so spiritually authentic, showing what a good organist, organ, choir director and choir can do to enhance the season. Oh, to have that good an acoustic. By contrast, soundwise, since we use no accompaniment save an occasional hand bell, here is Renaissance Man's, Lent 3, Compline recording of last Sunday. https://www.dropbox.com/s/somfgfr3ahel8z3/20170319.mp3 Seven men chanted the Office: 2 countertenors; 2 tenors, 1 baritone, 2 basses. This was our one rehearsal attempt at a very lean Lenten Office with part one of The Lamentations of Jeremiah of T. Tallis being the highlight. I might as well include the big 5 music: jefe
3O Christ, you are both light and day, revised plainsong - Full Score.pdf
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7Nunc dimittis, mode II in emin.with antiphon - Full Score.pdf
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11Lamentations of Jeremiah Tallis ATTBB - Full Score.pdf
In my forward on a piece about starting and running the Office of Compline, I opined that the most important thing to get right was not the quality of the singers nor due diligence of the leader but rather the reverberant, mystical sound of the Space; the Venue; the Hall; the Box; the Nave, the Quire; the Cathedral; the Chapel. Where are you located, again? 8<)
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