2023 carol competition - yuk

[Davout]

As somebody with absolutely no religious affiliations, even I am a little amazed that the ever so politically correct Radio 3 management can align a carol competition around a text that has no real association with Christmas or Christianity.

Given the dictionary definition of a carol as a “religious folk song or popular hymn, particularly one associated with Christmas”, I am surprised that the judging panel has no participation from a vicar, priest etc, and yet somehow the banal ramblings of Clive Myrie are deemed important.

Anyhow, hats off to the four entries from the junior section who put their adult peers to shame. On reflection, the adult entries sound more like the musical pastiches you used to hear on the comedy show “Who’s line is it anyway”.

[LMcD]

As somebody with absolutely no religious affiliations, even I am a little amazed that the ever so politically correct Radio 3 management can align a carol competition around a text that has no real association with Christmas or Christianity.

Given the dictionary definition of a carol as a “religious folk song or popular hymn, particularly one associated with Christmas”, I am surprised that the judging panel has no participation from a vicar, priest etc, and yet somehow the banal ramblings of Clive Myrie are deemed important.

Anyhow, hats off to the four entries from the junior section who put their adult peers to shame. On reflection, the adult entries sound more like the musical pastiches you used to hear on the comedy show “Who’s line is it anyway”.

Poor old Clive!

[Ein Heldenleben]

As somebody with absolutely no religious affiliations, even I am a little amazed that the ever so politically correct Radio 3 management can align a carol competition around a text that has no real association with Christmas or Christianity.

Given the dictionary definition of a carol as a “religious folk song or popular hymn, particularly one associated with Christmas”, I am surprised that the judging panel has no participation from a vicar, priest etc, and yet somehow the banal ramblings of Clive Myrie are deemed important.

Anyhow, hats off to the four entries from the junior section who put their adult peers to shame. On reflection, the adult entries sound more like the musical pastiches you used to hear on the comedy show “Who’s line is it anyway”.

Do you mean I’m Sorry I haven’t A Clue and it’s predecessor I’m sorry I’ll read that Again? The (very good ) pianist on the cheesy jazz Carol *they’ve just played on Essential Classics wasn’t in the Dave Lee class but who is ?

* very predictable chord sequence and forgettable melody.

[smittims]

I endorse #1 wholeheartedly. I'm far from being a tub-thumping theist but I've viewed with dismay the gradual exclusion of Christ from Christmas over the years. The special Radio Times number has gradually excluded any Christian imagery from its front cover picture. It makes nonsense of what people are doing. If they honestly changed the name to Yule or Saturnalia it would be understandable, though of course they'd then need to bring in Pagan or pre-Christian allusions they probably don't know about.

I suppose it's all about 'inclusiveness' which means being terribly afraid of being accused of beign elitist or racist or anything-else-ist.

[LMcD]

Do you mean I’m Sorry I haven’t A Clue and it’s predecessor I’m sorry I’ll read that Again? The (very good ) pianist on the cheesy jazz Carol *they’ve just played on Essential Classics wasn’t in the Dave Lee class but who is ?

* very predictable chord sequence and forgettable melody.

The pianist who suffers so grievously at the hands of Jack Dee is Colin Sell. The pianist on 'Whose Line Was It Anyway?' was Richard Vranch. The pianist accompanying the BBC Singers in the jazz carol on EC is Iain Farrngton.

[french frank]

Etymologically speaking, the word 'carol had no particular connection with Christmas. The French cognate has been suggested as coming from carré - a square - the medieval carol being a formation 'square dance'; or the Greek chorus. Both refer to dancing (often with singing), neither to singing alone or Christmas. Perhaps R3 is being ultra-woke here, rather than 'politically correct'. That said the R3 carol comp. doesn't seem to have many fans in these parts.

[oddoneout]

I endorse #1 wholeheartedly. I'm far from being a tub-thumping theist but I've viewed with dismay the gradual exclusion of Christ from Christmas over the years. The special Radio Times number has gradually excluded any Christian imagery from its front cover picture. It makes nonsense of what people are doing. If they honestly changed the name to Yule or Saturnalia it would be understandable, though of course they'd then need to bring in Pagan or pre-Christian allusions they probably don't know about.

I suppose it's all about 'inclusiveness' which means being terribly afraid of being accused of beign elitist or racist or anything-else-ist.

If it is, then trying to achieve it by omission is an odd way to go about it in my view, not least as other faiths don't seem to have a problem with the Christ thing - the virgin birth aspect is in the Quran for instance.

[oddoneout]

As somebody with absolutely no religious affiliations, even I am a little amazed that the ever so politically correct Radio 3 management can align a carol competition around a text that has no real association with Christmas or Christianity.

Given the dictionary definition of a carol as a “religious folk song or popular hymn, particularly one associated with Christmas”, I am surprised that the judging panel has no participation from a vicar, priest etc, and yet somehow the banal ramblings of Clive Myrie are deemed important.

Anyhow, hats off to the four entries from the junior section who put their adult peers to shame. On reflection, the adult entries sound more like the musical pastiches you used to hear on the comedy show “Who’s line is it anyway”.

I heard (I use the term loosely - I was in and out of the room) a couple of the young entries and part of two subsequent adult attempts this morning, on the basis of which I would agree with your views about the relative merits of youth and age.
As an aside, I have had occasion twice recently to sing the 2014 winning entry(Jacqueline Burley, "Can it be true?") and have to say found it most enjoyable, both to sing and in terms of the pleasure it gave the audience.

[LMcD]

. That said the R3 carol comp. doesn't seem to have many fans in these parts.

I'm glad I've reached the stage in life when I've finally realized that very little is really worth getting agitated about! I doubt whether this fleeting component of Radio 3's output will pose a threat to anybody's religious or other beliefs, but I imagine it will prove enormously encouraging to those whose entries have been chosen for broadcast and the subsequent vote.

[DracoM]

100% on Message 1.
Talked to a few - this carol competition is a dull, embarrassnigly dull -real misplaced decision-making by R3. Suggest this is deffo last year it happens.

[LMcD]

100% on Message 1.
Talked to a few - this carol competition is a dull, embarrassnigly dull -real misplaced decision-making by R3. Suggest this is deffo last year it happens.

If you're right, I hope it isn't replaced by repeated airings of the Adagietto from Mahler's 5th symphony.

[Frances_iom]

check the Manx Carvals - much more interesting takes on acceptable? subjects - any for "Sodom, Gemorrah as Nineveh" ?

[pastoralguy]

Having struggled with Harmony and Counterpoint as a music student I have nothing but admiration for ANYONE who can compose anything. Good on them for for making the effort.

[smittims]

I don't think we're sneering at the composers' efforts, but rather at the way the competition has been managed and what it says about the dumbing-down of Radio 3. As someone who remembers fondly the Christmas Quiz of Barrie Iliffe and Norman del Mar, whichwas scrapped because it was 'elitist', , I cannot but see a sad decline in intellectual standards

[french frank]

the way the competition has been managed

It might avoid complaints of any kind if they held the competitive part off-air and just played, say, the winner and a couple of runners-up? It's all this, "Oh, it gives great pleasure for people to hear their names read out on the radio - People love competitions &c" that seems so childish.