A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols Sunday, 25th December 2016

[DracoM]

Please. Let us return to the thread title.

Endorsed.

[Awkwardlistener]

KCC have themselves manacled to, and through the relentless BBC, us locked in quick-setting concrete with a carol / readings format that needs serious re-thinking IMO.

TS Eliot: 'Journey of the Magi' for example?
Other suggestions for an alternative Christmas Carol / Readings list?

Millions of people listen to this service across the world. A couple of savants on a message board won't bother them. Amazing the number of comments / negative jibes before we've heard a note.

[Nick Armstrong]

The Brian Kelly arrangement of Sussex Carol is a cracker!

[DracoM]

Will have to iPlayer. Power cut chopped service off.

[Alison]

Will have to iPlayer. Power cut chopped service off.

Perhaps Mr Cleobury had a word with the electricity board!

[Cockney Sparrow]

Millions of people listen to this service across the world. A couple of savants on a message board won't bother them.......

So, I assume from your point of view no harm will be done if opinions on this year's Nine Lessons from Kings are expressed here.

I'm not a savant, but don't see why I shouldn't express an opinion. However, for many of us today and the next few days are very busy. And speaking for myself, I'll wait for an opportunity to give the iPlayer replay proper attention before I would consider making any comment.

[DracoM]

Liked the bouncy Mathias, the Flecha the Elder and Praetorius; Poston a bit over-careful in enunciation, but that's KCC! Kelly arrangement is a lively one and pretty well done. Tavener I like slower and more awed than that, and it was possibly from here on that I began to notice some slips. SC has two or three dogged trebles who sang their hearts out, and were a teeny tad over-anxious in their desire to rally a possibly tiring band - showed in the Lennox Berekeley and Warlock, IMO.

Gaynor Howard did not for me really make her case in the re-set of Adam lay y-Bounden
New M. Berkeley went on just a bit after the ear-catching opening, and did they get into a tiny tangle towards the end? Felt a bit low for some voices, except the tenor who was a bit of a star. Actually, the tenors on the whole were the best section throughout, I felt - unusual in a choir with this age range.

As the service unfolded, I got the distinct impression that a number of singers sounded tired, the trebles [very young-sounding team] particularly. It may explain why SC's tempi were brisk, and even a bit relentless perhaps even metronomic - more than one might have expected. Not a huge lot of light and shade, which given one of the most helpful acoustics in UK, you'd hope for a little more hushed singing. Yet if a choir IS a bit tired - and KCC have generally sung a heck of a lot in the last month by the time we hear them on Christmas Eve - you can understand why the DOM might want to keep them moving. Old nostrum: any choir can sing loud, only the very best can sing slow and with hush, and if they are tired, then hush is even less likely. Much of that is speculation, of course, but listening quite closely, there were some frayed edges.

Richard Gowers deserves a real mention: some VERY tricky accompaniments, and he delivered. Looking forward to hearing the Messiaen tomorrow.

[Alison]

Good summary DracoM.

[cloughie]

Good summary DracoM.

I think some the arrangements tried to be too clever at the expense of the originals, but I liked the Sussex!!

[Nick Armstrong]

I think some the arrangements tried to be too clever at the expense of the originals, but I liked the Sussex!!

Yes (see below re Sussex) and also I really like that arrangement of Ding Dong, nice festive show-off for the organ in its first Christmas Eve after its overhaul, and exhilaratingly delivered by Richard Gowers (as mentioned by Draco below, with whose post I agree generally). Great to see it performed in the TV recording having heard it live on the radio - talk about twinkle-toes The organ sounded magnificent throughout. Hence, frustrating that Radio 4 cut away just as the Messiaen got going - must remember to grab that on the R3 repeat.

[Petrushka]

Love this service but played last year's last night and enjoyed that even more. Also attended in Lichfield Cathedral tonight so probably over-indulged on 9L&C this year.

Best carol at King's was the William Mathias A Babe is Born, a worthy companion to the same composer's Sir Christemas given a couple of year's ago. Glad to see the former in the TV broadcast as well.

We always hear complaints year after year that the choir sound 'tired'. If this is so then King's would surely be aware of any adverse effect that their heavy schedule has on what is their main shop window of the year. Personally, I can't say I noticed any tell-tale signs but then I'm not looking for them.

[Alison]

Happy Christmas Pet!!

How many years of KCC do you have in the archives??

[Petrushka]

Happy Christmas Pet!!

How many years of KCC do you have in the archives??

Not much, I'm afraid, Alison. I had more on VHS but they got thrown out so I've only got a very small number.

Merry Christmas to you too!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I listened to the repeat - all rather good, I thought. Good to hear the Ledger descant.