Nine Lessons and Carols Thurs, 24th Dec 2015

[Nick Armstrong]

As the hour ticks round to 3pm, bumping that service booklet again for anyone who missed it a day or two ago:

http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/files/services/festival-nine-lessons-2015.pdf

[Anna]

Wonderful! I lit the tree, turned on the heating and settled down, no interruptions, to listen. Nine Lessons is like a big old comfort blanket isn't it - it's always been there, you know the readings off by heart, you know the words to the Carols (except when they slip something new in) but it means Christmas has started and suddenly all's well in the world.

[ahinton]

Wonderful! I lit the tree, turned on the heating and settled down, no interruptions, to listen. Nine Lessons is like a big old comfort blanket isn't it - it's always been there, you know the readings off by heart, you know the words to the Carols (except when they slip something new in) but it means Christmas has started and suddenly all's well in the world.

Welcome back - and Happy Christmas!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

A fitting tribute to Sir David Willcocks. I just hope it doesn't slip back to the bad old ways next year.

[Petrushka]

Wonderful stuff, one of the best Nine Lessons and Carols I've heard in years and had the volume well and truly pumped up to earthquake level for the last two hymns.

Was it just me but were the readings just done a little to quickly this year? One or two felt a tad rushed to my ears.

[DracoM]

OK, Anna, how did you cope with the Causton Carol?

Apart from that, predictably comfortable material, decently efficient, liked the engineering - this service has to be one of the true nightmare gigs for sound engineers.

Readings: hmm: readers on a hiding to nothing. Do you not think that a very significant proportion of listeners knows every single word by heart? What I wonder is if the readers actually think about what they are reading e.g. that interrogation of Adam by God? Herod and the Kings? I mean, both are great dialogues, yet most readers just go into automatic pilot flattening out all drama, and not pointing up the crisis points.
Is it only me or was there a fairly significant change in the trebles voice production? They had to be raucous as well as stratospheric in the Causton, but elsewhere? Will have to listen again.

Was this Nine Lessons format not pioneered by Truro Cathedral? I DO wish someone at the BBC had the courtesy to acknowledged in their preamble to the service on Radio 4 that King's were NOT the first to have such a service.

Please take my grudging tone with a pinch of salt - this really is one of my least favourite singing events of the year, because I feel desperately sorry for a highly competent, highly musical ensemble like KCC. Every year imprisoned by the constraints of global expectations, and no way out. They make it sound as if they are really up for it, but.............

[BBMmk2]

One of the best. Good to see RRB on the programme.

[Awkwardlistener]

Absolutely stunning. Lovely blended, warm, rich sound for the most part. Real biting, full throated, continental sound in the Scott and Causton which would surprise many who only listen to this choir only once a year. The words of the Causton anthem are about the Christ story seen through the prism of today's refugee crisis. I have to say I found the dissonant verses juxtaposed with the calm, smooth harmonies of the chorus to have a real tragic quality to them. Very moving

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Was this Nine Lessons format not pioneered by Truro Cathedral? I DO wish someone at the BBC had the courtesy to acknowledged in their preamble to the service on Radio 4 that King's were NOT the first to have such a service.

[Old Grumpy]

Quote Originally Posted by DracoM
Was this Nine Lessons format not pioneered by Truro Cathedral? I DO wish someone at the BBC had the courtesy to acknowledged in their preamble to the service on Radio 4 that King's were NOT the first to have such a service.

It was included by Paxo in the introduction to a question on University Challenge, but about 5 hours to late for the preamble!

And while we're at it can the news at 3 o'clock not be omitted? Surely it is not really necassary to have this before the broadcast.

OG

[Stanley Stewart]

Aficionados or nighthawks may be interested to know that Carols at King's, 1954, will be shown on BBC 4 at 02.35 -03.20 hrs, 25 Dec, albeit listed on the 24 Dec, schedules which concludes at 03.45hrs. Got it? I hugely enjoyed this afternoon's 2016 screening on BBC 2 in such a superb setting.

[mangerton]

I did enjoy the programme today - not least the Causton anthem which I must listen to again. That's not something I often say about new music.

It was good to hear again the Willcocks arrangements, which I still think of as the original and best.

[DracoM]

Yes, IMO Mr Cleobury's descant was clumsy and slightly odd compared to the skill of the Willcocks examples we heard.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Yes, IMO Mr Cleobury's descant was clumsy and slightly odd compared to the skill of the Willcocks examples we heard.

When David Willcocks passed on the reins to Philip Ledger, which raised a few eyebrows. I soon grew to like them and his Once in Royal descant became the one I used in school carol services.

However, despite their being in th KCC repertoire for much longer than those of his 2 predecessors, they remain as uncomfortable as ever.

It puzzles me that both Ledger and Cleobury chose to compete with Willocks in One, O come & Hark, but chose to leave Thomas Armstrong's descant untouched.

[Keraulophone]

Was this Nine Lessons format not pioneered by Truro Cathedral? I DO wish someone at the BBC had the courtesy to acknowledged in their preamble to the service on Radio 4 that King's were NOT the first to have such a service.

To be fair to King's, Milner-White took Truro's 1880 service and modified it for their own use from 1919. For example, he wrote the Bidding Prayer and removed Bishop Benson's little benedictions which he would read before each lesson. Do treat yourself to the new DVD/CD which explains all and gives you both the 1880 and the 2014 service! (For the Regent Records link, see my previous post above.)

Wishing you a low rainfall Christmas.