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

[Alison]

Point taken Pet. Perhaps I could liken it to having Spharen-Klange at the Vienna NYD concert every year. Maybe not a good comparison. Hope you get to Cambridge one Christmas Eve! (About time you started your annual NYD thread, Pet)

[mopsus]

Darke is pretty much a fixture because of Darke's association with King's College.

It has not been unknown for the 'Carols from King's' on TV to be repeated from one year to the next.

[Alison]

Darke is pretty much a fixture because of Darke's association with King's College.

It has not been unknown for the 'Carols from King's' on TV to be repeated from one year to the next.

[Petrushka]

Hope you get to Cambridge one Christmas Eve!

I went there for Evensong on November 22 but the Christmas Eve service has been on my bucket list for years. However, it's impossible to get back by train on the same night. Moreover, queuing from the early morning in God knows what weather looks a bit too much even for me. King's really should institute a ticket only ballot system for public places, similar to that for other heavily over-subscribed events such as Trooping the Colour.

[cloughie]

Took part in an F9L&C this evening, singing tenor in a small choir for the event. Really enjoyed the experience.

[CallMePaul]

No, it was recorded on December 11. The BBC2 Carols from King's is completely different and includes readings and format that DracoM might prefer (see #5).

In the Bleak Midwinter is one of my favourites, Alison, ii wouldn't be Christmas without it and fondly remembered from my own 1960s choir days. It's a rare instance in the carol world of a newer version supplanting the old to better effect.

I was unaware that the BBC2 programme was recorded separately from the Christmas Eve service. I am tempted by the full service and will have to persuade my partner and stepson to listen rasther than watch as we have done in recent years.

I too like In the Bleak Midwinter but unlike some forum users I much prefer the Holst setting to the Darke.

[DracoM]

Recorded on Dec 11th? Right, well, IME, Dec 11 for the recording is a wee tad late...but that was back in the day...., and TV scheduling etc has obviously changed.

[mopsus]

A lot of people don't realise that the BBC programme isn't taken from the 9 Lessons and Carols service and the BBC doesn't discourage the identification of the two. But think what the 9L&C would be like with television cameras all over the place and it becomes obvious why it can't be.

[DracoM]

Agreed.

I just feel so sorry for KCC - in every way a talented ensemble - represented to the world almost exclusively by this single service. And so little room for deviations from the stable of warhorses.

Will they ever manage any kind of major re-structuring? Will the BBC allow them to - that is if KCC ever evinced a wish to change things?

[underthecountertenor]

............by the time Christmas Day evening actually arrives, you don't much care if you never, ever sing or hear another Bleak Midwinter.

Ah, but when do you reach the point of not much caring if you never, ever sing or hear another Hark! The Heretical Angels Sing? In my case I think it was probably 8 December. In 1996.

[Vox Humana]

Will they ever manage any kind of major re-structuring?

One day, perhaps. Every so often the BBC gets the heebie-jeebies about revamping things it perceives as having got stuck in the mud and it could well be that the day will come they will decide that the KCC carol service has become stale and in need of rethinking - or even moving somewhere else.

[underthecountertenor]

One day, perhaps. Every so often the BBC gets the heebie-jeebies about revamping things it perceives as having got stuck in the mud and it could well be that the day will come they will decide that the KCC carol service has become stale and in need of rethinking - or even moving somewhere else.

I think it very unlikely that they'd ever move it somewhere else. It's part of the BBC's DNA and recognised as such worldwide.

As for a rethink - possible I suppose, but very much a case of 'be careful what you wish for'?

[Vox Humana]

As for a rethink - possible I suppose, but very much a case of 'be careful what you wish for'?

Indeed. I'm certainly not advocating it. I guess there will be a certain rejuvenation at the next change of DoM - e.g. a different sound and maybe a slightly different taste in repertoire. At the least we'll get some new descants. :)

[underthecountertenor]

Indeed. I'm certainly not advocating it. I guess there will be a certain rejuvenation at the next change of DoM - e.g. a different sound and maybe a slightly different taste in repertoire. At the least we'll get some new descants. :)

[subcontrabass]

One day, perhaps. Every so often the BBC gets the heebie-jeebies about revamping things it perceives as having got stuck in the mud and it could well be that the day will come they will decide that the KCC carol service has become stale and in need of rethinking - or even moving somewhere else.

A couple of heresies to start things off:

(1) Vary the opening hymn. This might stop people thinking that there is only one possible opening hymn and only one way to sing it.

(2) Use some of the other tunes for "While shepherds watched". I think there are over 40 tunes known to have been used for this hymn in the past. It would be good to hear some of them being used in this context.