Rochester Cathedral Carol Service for Radio Kent

[fatscorrell]

If you have not yet had quite enough of Christmas Carols (and it is only the fifth day!), you might like to have a listen to the carol service that we recorded live for Radio Kent.

Here is the link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04kc5wx#play

The choir repertoire is:
Alleluia, a new work is come on hand: Mathias
The Lamb: Tavener
Novo profusi gaudio: Matthew Martin
Midwinter: Chilcott
Tomorrow shall be my dancing day: Gardner

All the usual congregational hymns with descants, but it does include Stephen Cleobury's early Once in royal descant which I personally think is unbeatable.

Organist:James Norrey
Director: Scott Farrell

The mics are a little close for the choir items so there is nowhere to hide!

I hope that you will enjoy it.

[Cockney Sparrow]

Hello Fatscorell. I see you are new here, so welcome.

You are right, I am still eating post Christmas day fare, and am not quite up for a 9 Lessons at the moment. But my interest is caught by your remark about the descant. Over the years I have felt that those by Ledger and Willcocks carry the day for me. However, my interest is not very informed, I went to Kings 9 L&C a few times in the 1970s but since that time I haven't been involved in church music so my judgement is superficial. I've quuickly brought up the link on iPlayer and found the verse in question (it starts at 04:55 for anyone interested).

I'll return to it later and give the descant (and the repertoire you pointed out) a fair hearing.

[DracoM]

Welcome to the Forum, and many thx for Rochester Cath heads up.

[W.Kearns]

I'm not sure that FS/SF is as new a contributor as you think. I am sure I remember some trenchant comments from Rochester in the past.

[fatscorrell]

Thanks for the welcome. It is indeed a reappearance after a number of years. Maybe a dangerous place for a Cathedral DoM?!

[Finzi4ever]

If you have not yet had quite enough of Christmas Carols (and it is only the fifth day!), you might like to have a listen to the carol service that we recorded live for Radio Kent.

The mics are a little close for the choir items so there is nowhere to hide!

I hope that you will enjoy it.

Your choir gave an excellent account for themselves, despite the mic setting and James's excellent pedal technique was certainly proved with a mic seemingly placed mid-Ophicleide.