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

[PeterboroughDiapason]

That's as may be but did they have anything to do with either the words or Holst's setting?

I thought it captured the mood of Rossetti's words beautifully - very poignant. As for what it had to do with Holst's setting - well it's a reharmonization of his tune. We might disagree on whether he should have done it or not and, certainly, whether or not it was effective. However I don't hear your "crashing crude dissonant chords from the organ" from your earlier post.

It can be heard here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTzq...t_radio=1&t=38

[cat]

I thought the Lutoslawski organ part worked well, but the arrangement as a whole had no redeeming features when compared to the Walford Davies, which is one of my favourite carols. I wasn’t a fan Wilberg either.

I wonder if they’ll ever treat us to a different Once in Royal, without a treble solo perhaps..

[ardcarp]

I haven't read all the posts, but I enjoyed the TV version more than the radio one. It's great to have a service which unfolds at a relaxed pace rather than being 'driven' and perhaps with too much content as in recent years.

[Vox Humana]

I thought it captured the mood of Rossetti's words beautifully - very poignant. As for what it had to do with Holst's setting - well it's a reharmonization of his tune. We might disagree on whether he should have done it or not and, certainly, whether or not it was effective. However I don't hear your "crashing crude dissonant chords from the organ" from your earlier post.

It can be heard here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTzq...t_radio=1&t=38

Thank you for that link. Lovely to hear that again. There is plenty of Howells that is more dissonant than anything in this arrangement, but Howells isn't everyone's cup of tea either. Each to their own.

It's great to have a service which unfolds at a relaxed pace rather than being 'driven' and perhaps with too much content as in recent years.

Very much so.

[Vox Humana]

I wonder if they’ll ever treat us to a different Once in Royal, without a treble solo perhaps..

It might be time to change the record. It's getting a little worn. A different carol would be a welcome change, but the words of 'Once in royal' are a perfect opener and I can't immediately think of anything better (given that it would need to be of a suitable length, at least for the radio service).

[ardcarp]

A carol service maybe should try to be a mixture of the familiar and the new. One needs to keep those who like 'the tradition' to be kept onside, but one also needs to break a bit of new ground. One thing which I've been pondering, this year in particular, is how some carols go in and out of fashion.

[oddoneout]

I thought it captured the mood of Rossetti's words beautifully - very poignant. As for what it had to do with Holst's setting - well it's a reharmonization of his tune. We might disagree on whether he should have done it or not and, certainly, whether or not it was effective. However I don't hear your "crashing crude dissonant chords from the organ" from your earlier post.

It can be heard here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTzq...t_radio=1&t=38

Thanks for posting that link. Having listened a couple of times it would seem that part of my problem with the arrangement was that what I heard on TV was very unbalanced for some reason - hence my comment about crashing chords, as that's what happened at the 'if I were a wise man' section. I still don't like it (and don't understand why those prominent chords at that section) and don't think it adds to the original, but at least I know it wasn't quite as bad as I had first experienced it.
In response to Vox Humana I don't have an issue with dissonance per se (nor Howells...) so long as it's doing something worthwhile and relevant ie it makes some sense to me, so even if perhaps in a given instance I don't actually like it I wouldn't necessarily dismiss the whole piece. It might take several listenings/singings/playings before I admit defeat!

[oddoneout]

A carol service maybe should try to be a mixture of the familiar and the new. One needs to keep those who like 'the tradition' to be kept onside, but one also needs to break a bit of new ground. One thing which I've been pondering, this year in particular, is how some carols go in and out of fashion.

I have a suspicion that when it comes to the Kings carol service the Once in Royal opening, and the inclusion of Adeste and Hark, enables other repertoire changes to be made without causing too much ruction to the Christmas Tradition audience. For a great many people that opening is the sound of Christmas, and very few can resist the emotional tug of the lone choirboy's voice in that space, regardless of their inclinations otherwise in terms of music or beliefs. When all's said and done it's not the only carol service available.

[PeterboroughDiapason]

I thought the Lutoslawski organ part worked well, but the arrangement as a whole had no redeeming features when compared to the Walford Davies, which is one of my favourite carols.

Yes. And there's always the Britten arrangement in the underrated Cambridge Hymnal

[ardcarp]

Not underrated by me. Excellent book. Elizabeth Poston was one of the editors.

Incidentally, from one of the many online carol services I've listened to (thanks for the recommendations, everyone) there was a carol by Imogen Holst. Can anyone remind me of its name and which place it came from?

[cat]

Not underrated by me. Excellent book. Elizabeth Poston was one of the editors.

Incidentally, from one of the many online carol services I've listened to (thanks for the recommendations, everyone) there was a carol by Imogen Holst. Can anyone remind me of its name and which place it came from?

Imogen Holst's Make Ye Merry was in the televised Carols from King's after the second reading.

[Magister Chori]

Not underrated by me. Excellent book. Elizabeth Poston was one of the editors.

Incidentally, from one of the many online carol services I've listened to (thanks for the recommendations, everyone) there was a carol by Imogen Holst. Can anyone remind me of its name and which place it came from?

Imogen Holst's Make Ye Merry was in the televised Carols from King's after the second reading.

It was published by OUP in 1965 in the anthology "Carols for Today".

[Pulcinella]

Not underrated by me. Excellent book. Elizabeth Poston was one of the editors.

Incidentally, from one of the many online carol services I've listened to (thanks for the recommendations, everyone) there was a carol by Imogen Holst. Can anyone remind me of its name and which place it came from?

Elizabeth Poston also edited two books of Christmas Carols for Penguin (though I'm sure that there's a misprint in her own Jesus Christ the Apple Tree in the second volume: the soprano note for 'missed' in verse 3 (and -der of under in verse 4) is given as a C, but it should surely be a D as in the first two verses).

[Resurgam]

Elizabeth Poston also edited two books of Christmas Carols for Penguin .

I don't remember ever hearing 'I saw three ships' sung starting with 'As I sat on a sunny bank' so is this Poston arrangement rarely sung?

The King's Singers seem to be on the young side presently. I last saw them about four years ago and the personnel seem to have changed completely in that time. Is this usual?

[ardcarp]

It was published by OUP in 1965 in the anthology "Carols for Today".

Thanks, MC.