A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols [L] 25.xii.2020

[Ein Heldenleben]

There’s a zoom webinar with the TV producer and the lighting engineer of the Carols from Kings today . I think I’m right in saying the actual Nine Lessons has always been radio only ?

[DracoM]

Erm................well...........

[weston752]

Erm............'mistake one for the other'?
Which is 'one' and which is the 'other'?

Goodness me Draco - if you don't know the answer to your own question!

[Nick Armstrong]

Ah, yes, indeed, but KCC usually records several for different global networks and audiences.

I’m not sure that’s the case. They do the TV recording (for BBC2 broadcast on Christmas Eve) in mid-December (usually on an adjacent day to the recording of the Easter Day programme, so as to use the same BBC technical set-up, cameras etc.). These are doubtless syndicated to networks abroad. I attended both TV recordings, Christmas & Easter, in December 2019. There was no sign or talk of any other TV recordings.

And then of course a different ‘Ceremony’ is broadcast live on radio only on Christmas Eve itself.

There seems to be confusion about this every year but it’s not complicated

[Ein Heldenleben]

I’m not sure that’s the case. They do the TV recording (for BBC2 broadcast on Christmas Eve) in mid-December (usually on an adjacent day to the recording of the Easter Day programme, so as to use the same BBC technical set-up, cameras etc.). These are doubtless syndicated to networks abroad. I attended both TV recordings, Christmas & Easter, in December 2019. There was no sign or talk of any other TV recordings.

And then of course a different ‘Ceremony’ is broadcast live on radio only on Christmas Eve itself.

There seems to be confusion about this every year but it’s not complicated

Yes the Carols From Kings was recorded last week ( on the 11th I think ) . Hence the news stories about the members of the King’s Singers filling in at 48 hours notice for two scholars who had to pull out for COVID related reasons .

[cat]

Yes the Carols From Kings was recorded last week ( on the 11th I think ) . Hence the news stories about the members of the King’s Singers filling in at 48 hours notice for two scholars who had to pull out for COVID related reasons .

Although only two tested positive, there were no choral scholars present at all for the filming. On the pre-order download page (for those outside the UK without access to BBC2 or iPlayer), you can see a photograph taken from the organ loft, with the six King's Singers standing between the choristers at the end of the choir stalls.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Although only two tested positive, there were no choral scholars present at all for the filming. On the pre-order download page (for those outside the UK without access to BBC2 or iPlayer), you can see a photograph taken from the organ loft, with the six King's Singers standing between the choristers at the end of the choir stalls.

Got it - the scholars are always undergrads? It’s confusing ‘cos I thought boy choristers could get scholarships..

[Nick Armstrong]

Got it - the scholars are always undergrads? It’s confusing ‘cos I thought boy choristers could get scholarships..

“Choral scholars” are ‘adult’ undergrads/grads.... the trebles are called “choristers” (whatever their financial arrangements!)... as I understand it.

[Nick Armstrong]

Although only two tested positive, there were no choral scholars present at all for the filming. On the pre-order download page (for those outside the UK without access to BBC2 or iPlayer), you can see a photograph taken from the organ loft, with the six King's Singers standing between the choristers at the end of the choir stalls.

[cat]

The service will now not be broadcast live, but will be a pre-recorded version they made recently with the full choir:

https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/news/2020/radio-broadcast-recorded-version-christmas-eve-service

[Magister Chori]

Here is the booklet for this year Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols: https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/sites/de...s-oos-2020.pdf

Some words from the Dean about some a few changes in Milner White's bidding prayer: https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/chapel/a...nd-carols-2020

And here is the booklet for the televised version, Carols from King's: https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/sites/de...2020-12-22.pdf

[DracoM]

bump

[backrow_gremlin]

What an absolutely Stonking broadcast (under any circumstances).

[DracoM]

Well, I bet the BBC engineers will be hoping and praying that it's without a congregation next year too.
They made a fantastic job of this service - balance, clarity, atmosphere, capturing the acoustic in a notoriously difficult place...truly memorable.

Loved the Philip Moore and Bob Chilcott

BUT blimey, what on earth happened in the Lutoslawsky..........??

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I was delighted that Daniel Hyde didn't feel the need to write his own descants, thereby inviting unnecessary comparison with those of his predecessors. Instead, the "big 3" had descants by Cleobury, Willcocks and Ledger. I suppose it would have seemed churlish to drop the Cleobury descants altogether this year, but I think it would be better to do this in future years. The exemplary work of that DoM is better remembered in other ways. For 'Once in Royal...' the Ledger descant is in a class of its own (imo).

The lack of a congregation was regrettable, but it was good to be given the opportunity to hear the carols with choir only throughout.