Choral Directing
.
Rehearsal for Evensong at Salisbury Cathedral:
The Choristers of Bristol Grammar School
(July 2007)
.
The Choristers of Bristol Grammar School
(July 2007)
.
Working with choirs is something which is close to my heart. Inspiring young trebles and adults alike and motivating them to aim for the highest standards possible -
I've always found that very rewarding.
.
During my time in Germany, I was fortuntate to work as Assistant Choir Master of the
Regensburger Domspatzen, the famous boys' choir of Regensburg Cathedral. Liturgical boys' choirs in Germany, as opposed to those in England, have by far fewer committments and therefore are able to spend more time on rehearsing in much more detail, focussing on various aspects of vocal techniques.
.
When I arrived in the UK a couple of years ago, I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of music English cathedral choirs were performing on a daily basis - what a contrast to Germany! This requires a different way of rehearsing as rehearsal time is always a bit of the essence. I soon realized that sight singing in English choirs is crucial - there is not as much "spoonfeeding" going on as in Germany.
.
The Choristers of Bristol Grammar School are a choir made up of boy trebles.
I took great pleasure in starting this choir from scratch in September 2006 - and as BGS is a co-ed school, getting boys to sing was indeed not an easy task. And yet:
we were possible to offer 18 boys a place in the choir and within a couple of months, they were fit for singing Evensong in Salisbury Cathedral!
.
During my time in Exeter, I directed the Mendelssohn Singers - a mixed choir of
40 singers or so. It was a project choir with which I rehearsed a programme of music for an Evensong at Exeter Cathedral... this was assessed as part of my MA degree in
"English Cathedral Music" at Exeter University. Highlights were Herbert Howells's
"Sarum Service" and Mendelssohn's "Jauchzet dem Herrn" - sung with a superb German pronunciation.
____________________________________________
.
English Cathedral Music in Germany
.
The choir boys, girls and men of the Lutheran Parish of St Maria Magdalena, Arzberg, and the boys of the "Vorchor" of the Regensburger Domspatzen
in July 2002.
.
Part 1:
Kantor at the Lutheran Parish Church of Arzberg
.
After my first visit to England in 1999, I couldn't stop wondering whether it would be possible to perform English cathedral music in Germany as well. It would have been
much easier for me as Cantor in Arzberg to get a group of adults together and to sing Stanford, Howells etc. in English. But I wanted to see how it would sound if there's a choir made up of boys singing soprano only and the men taking over the other voice parts, including alto... and all the music being in German!
.
In 2002, my "English Cathedral Music in Germany" project was ready for lift off:
I composed the music, recruited the choir boys and girls, got the choir men together, rehearsed the music with them, sorted out the financial issues of paying the singers and producing a professional CD recording... it was a terrific success!
.
Listen to the following selection of sound samples:
.
Krippner: Magnificat in F (in German)
.
Krippner: Nunc Dimittis in F (in German)
.
Krippner: Responses (in German)
.
"Gott, aller Schöpfung" (OLD HUNDREDTH - in German)
..
Part 2:
Director of Music at the RC Parish Church of St Albertus Magnus - Regensburg
.
In November 2002, I was appointed Director of Music at St Albertus Magnus in
Regensburg, Germany. This was a fairly modern parish (the church had been built in the 1960's) and the music needed a lot of boost: there were no choirs left, the congregational singing was almost inaudible... at least there was a decent pipe organ and a church with the acoustics of a cathedral!
.
I decided to built up a music department as one would find in any of the bigger English Parish churches: there was a mixed adult choir which the Choristers (the more experienced boys and girls of the children's choir) would join each week for rehearsals and occasionally for sung services. As I loved to experiment with English church music, I arranged German psalms to be sung with Anglican Chant - our priest, the congregation and the choir got used to them in no time and it became an important part of our worship. There was simply no service without a psalm sung by the choir - something almost unheard of in a Catholic church. We were clearly ahead the game: rumour has it that the new Catholic Prayer and Hymn Book for all German speaking countries, which is currently being compiled, is going to introduce psalms set to Anglican Chant...
.
.
But there were many more changes. There is not such a thing like a robed church choir in Germany, on both the Lutheran and the Catholic side. We just borrowed the cassocks of the altar boys - and after a couple of services, the congregation (and choir!) didn't object to them anymore simply because it looked much better and... our sung Vespers soon got the reputation of being "wonderful, PROPER services". People started to take it serious.
.
The choristers were given medals according to their performance; we had "Head Choristers" and "Deputy Head Choristers" - the kids loved it and since it was in English, it sounded even more impressive.
.
Within a year, the music department at St Albertus Magnus was up and running. Why was it a success? I think the main reason for this was quite a simple one: the vicar and I got on like a house on fire! We would meet weekly to discuss, review, plan ahead, share ideas... and he would also cook the world's best pasta for me. He was open-minded, I was open-minded. He loved contemporary worship music, I loved traditional church music. This probably sounds like a recipe for disaster - but it wasn't. We simply met somewhere in the middle... and it worked.
.
Here are some recordings which were made during my time at "SAM":
.
Rutter: "Christ ist heut erstanden"
.
Stimmer: "In den wachen Stunden der Nacht"
.
Steward: Psalm 23 "Der Herr ist mein Hirte" (Anglican Chant)
.
Andrews: "Jesu geh voran" (English arr. of a trad. Lutheran Hymn)
.
.
But there was one big disadvantage: I didn't have a regular Assistant Organist which is quite essential for English Church Music - I had to play the organ myself whilst conducting the choir simultaneously! Anyway, we advertised the job but, unfortunately, received only one application...
.
I've always found that very rewarding.
.
During my time in Germany, I was fortuntate to work as Assistant Choir Master of the
Regensburger Domspatzen, the famous boys' choir of Regensburg Cathedral. Liturgical boys' choirs in Germany, as opposed to those in England, have by far fewer committments and therefore are able to spend more time on rehearsing in much more detail, focussing on various aspects of vocal techniques.
.
When I arrived in the UK a couple of years ago, I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of music English cathedral choirs were performing on a daily basis - what a contrast to Germany! This requires a different way of rehearsing as rehearsal time is always a bit of the essence. I soon realized that sight singing in English choirs is crucial - there is not as much "spoonfeeding" going on as in Germany.
.
The Choristers of Bristol Grammar School are a choir made up of boy trebles.
I took great pleasure in starting this choir from scratch in September 2006 - and as BGS is a co-ed school, getting boys to sing was indeed not an easy task. And yet:
we were possible to offer 18 boys a place in the choir and within a couple of months, they were fit for singing Evensong in Salisbury Cathedral!
.
During my time in Exeter, I directed the Mendelssohn Singers - a mixed choir of
40 singers or so. It was a project choir with which I rehearsed a programme of music for an Evensong at Exeter Cathedral... this was assessed as part of my MA degree in
"English Cathedral Music" at Exeter University. Highlights were Herbert Howells's
"Sarum Service" and Mendelssohn's "Jauchzet dem Herrn" - sung with a superb German pronunciation.
____________________________________________
.
English Cathedral Music in Germany
.
The choir boys, girls and men of the Lutheran Parish of St Maria Magdalena, Arzberg, and the boys of the "Vorchor" of the Regensburger Domspatzen
in July 2002.
.
Part 1:
Kantor at the Lutheran Parish Church of Arzberg
.
After my first visit to England in 1999, I couldn't stop wondering whether it would be possible to perform English cathedral music in Germany as well. It would have been
much easier for me as Cantor in Arzberg to get a group of adults together and to sing Stanford, Howells etc. in English. But I wanted to see how it would sound if there's a choir made up of boys singing soprano only and the men taking over the other voice parts, including alto... and all the music being in German!
.
In 2002, my "English Cathedral Music in Germany" project was ready for lift off:
I composed the music, recruited the choir boys and girls, got the choir men together, rehearsed the music with them, sorted out the financial issues of paying the singers and producing a professional CD recording... it was a terrific success!
.
Listen to the following selection of sound samples:
.
Krippner: Magnificat in F (in German)
.
Krippner: Nunc Dimittis in F (in German)
.
Krippner: Responses (in German)
.
"Gott, aller Schöpfung" (OLD HUNDREDTH - in German)
..
Part 2:
Director of Music at the RC Parish Church of St Albertus Magnus - Regensburg
.
In November 2002, I was appointed Director of Music at St Albertus Magnus in
Regensburg, Germany. This was a fairly modern parish (the church had been built in the 1960's) and the music needed a lot of boost: there were no choirs left, the congregational singing was almost inaudible... at least there was a decent pipe organ and a church with the acoustics of a cathedral!
.
I decided to built up a music department as one would find in any of the bigger English Parish churches: there was a mixed adult choir which the Choristers (the more experienced boys and girls of the children's choir) would join each week for rehearsals and occasionally for sung services. As I loved to experiment with English church music, I arranged German psalms to be sung with Anglican Chant - our priest, the congregation and the choir got used to them in no time and it became an important part of our worship. There was simply no service without a psalm sung by the choir - something almost unheard of in a Catholic church. We were clearly ahead the game: rumour has it that the new Catholic Prayer and Hymn Book for all German speaking countries, which is currently being compiled, is going to introduce psalms set to Anglican Chant...
.
.
But there were many more changes. There is not such a thing like a robed church choir in Germany, on both the Lutheran and the Catholic side. We just borrowed the cassocks of the altar boys - and after a couple of services, the congregation (and choir!) didn't object to them anymore simply because it looked much better and... our sung Vespers soon got the reputation of being "wonderful, PROPER services". People started to take it serious.
.
The choristers were given medals according to their performance; we had "Head Choristers" and "Deputy Head Choristers" - the kids loved it and since it was in English, it sounded even more impressive.
.
Within a year, the music department at St Albertus Magnus was up and running. Why was it a success? I think the main reason for this was quite a simple one: the vicar and I got on like a house on fire! We would meet weekly to discuss, review, plan ahead, share ideas... and he would also cook the world's best pasta for me. He was open-minded, I was open-minded. He loved contemporary worship music, I loved traditional church music. This probably sounds like a recipe for disaster - but it wasn't. We simply met somewhere in the middle... and it worked.
.
Here are some recordings which were made during my time at "SAM":
.
Rutter: "Christ ist heut erstanden"
.
Stimmer: "In den wachen Stunden der Nacht"
.
Steward: Psalm 23 "Der Herr ist mein Hirte" (Anglican Chant)
.
Andrews: "Jesu geh voran" (English arr. of a trad. Lutheran Hymn)
.
.
But there was one big disadvantage: I didn't have a regular Assistant Organist which is quite essential for English Church Music - I had to play the organ myself whilst conducting the choir simultaneously! Anyway, we advertised the job but, unfortunately, received only one application...
.
Fritz - the organ mouse!
.
Part 3
Organist to the Schottenchor - Regensburg
.
The Schottenchor ("Scottish Choir") first met in Autumn 2000, just when I started my church music studies at the Hochschule für Kirchenmusik in Regensburg. The director of this choir is Pater Romanos Werner OSB, a Benedictine monk. It soon became apparent that we both shared the same passion: English Cathedral Music.
.
He and some students from the University of Regensburg started rehearsing music for our first Evensong. I was then their organist and have been ever since - although, now being based in London, I was given the title of honorary organist. This choir produces a fantastic sound and actively promotes church music from the British Isles in the middle of Catholic Bavaria.
.
They also do choir tours to Britain: They have sung in the Chapel of Glasgow University and, more recently, did Evensong at Bristol Cathedral.
.
Here is a link to a Video Clip about the choir, produced by TVA in 2004.
There is also Brewer's Magnificat at the end of the report.
.
Organist to the Schottenchor - Regensburg
.
The Schottenchor ("Scottish Choir") first met in Autumn 2000, just when I started my church music studies at the Hochschule für Kirchenmusik in Regensburg. The director of this choir is Pater Romanos Werner OSB, a Benedictine monk. It soon became apparent that we both shared the same passion: English Cathedral Music.
.
He and some students from the University of Regensburg started rehearsing music for our first Evensong. I was then their organist and have been ever since - although, now being based in London, I was given the title of honorary organist. This choir produces a fantastic sound and actively promotes church music from the British Isles in the middle of Catholic Bavaria.
.
They also do choir tours to Britain: They have sung in the Chapel of Glasgow University and, more recently, did Evensong at Bristol Cathedral.
.
Here is a link to a Video Clip about the choir, produced by TVA in 2004.
There is also Brewer's Magnificat at the end of the report.
.
The Schottenchor in the choir stalls of Bristol Cathedral
(May 2006)
.
(May 2006)
.
Part 4
Director of the English Choir - Regensburg
.
By the beginning of 2003, I already knew I would be going to Britain and persuing a career as organist and choir director there. In the meantime, I wanted to try out more of the English Cathedral Music repertoire and therefore decided to found the "English Choir" Regensburg. They were a bunch of English, Scottish, Welsh and German singers... all keen to do Stanford and alike!
.
We regularly sang services at the Anglican Parish Church in Ingolstadt - yes, there has been an Anglican mission in the middle of Bavaria. Unfortunately, it has been closed now. But between 2003-4, we sang Evensong and Carol Services at Ingolstadt, whilst preparing for a much bigger endeavour...
.
our choir tour to GUILDFORD CATHEDRAL in August 2004!
.
We were visiting choir at Guildford for almost a week, including all weekend services.
Most of the choir was obviously not used to Anglican chants, to Magnificats etc., so what we did was nothing short of miraculous!
.
People there were very friendly to us and particularly commented on the clear English diction of our psalm singing. And I'm sure all choir members will never forget Monday Evensong, when I managed to flick off one of the lampshades of the choir stalls while conducting the Responses by Byrd... I still sweat blood each time I hear the passage "And mercifully hear us..." - everyone certainly heard the hell of a noise that lampshade produced when falling on the marble floor of the Cathedral!!!
.
Director of the English Choir - Regensburg
.
By the beginning of 2003, I already knew I would be going to Britain and persuing a career as organist and choir director there. In the meantime, I wanted to try out more of the English Cathedral Music repertoire and therefore decided to found the "English Choir" Regensburg. They were a bunch of English, Scottish, Welsh and German singers... all keen to do Stanford and alike!
.
We regularly sang services at the Anglican Parish Church in Ingolstadt - yes, there has been an Anglican mission in the middle of Bavaria. Unfortunately, it has been closed now. But between 2003-4, we sang Evensong and Carol Services at Ingolstadt, whilst preparing for a much bigger endeavour...
.
our choir tour to GUILDFORD CATHEDRAL in August 2004!
.
We were visiting choir at Guildford for almost a week, including all weekend services.
Most of the choir was obviously not used to Anglican chants, to Magnificats etc., so what we did was nothing short of miraculous!
.
People there were very friendly to us and particularly commented on the clear English diction of our psalm singing. And I'm sure all choir members will never forget Monday Evensong, when I managed to flick off one of the lampshades of the choir stalls while conducting the Responses by Byrd... I still sweat blood each time I hear the passage "And mercifully hear us..." - everyone certainly heard the hell of a noise that lampshade produced when falling on the marble floor of the Cathedral!!!
.
The English Choir, Regensburg, at Guildford Cathedral
(August 2004)
(August 2004)