Westminster Abbey Carol Service

[ardcarp]

This was streamed live tonight...but it had to be paid for as it was one of the promotions of The Voces 8 Foundation. But it was Westminster Abbey Choir doing the singing! (We got a free 'ticket', i.e. a code you had to enter to receive it.) I think the cost was about £12.50. One highlight was the reader, Catherine Bott, who spoke the lessons absolutely beautifully! The musical fare included a few movements from Britten's Ceremony of Carols with an excellent harpist. Such a shame they didn't sing the whole thing. No 'Wolcum' for instance.

I gather the event will be available for a few weeks.

[cat]

It is a concert rather than a service, hence the price.

Well worth watching was the half-hour mini-documentary beforehand, with Barnaby and Paul, both former Westminster choristers, speaking with James O'Donnell and other key people.

The Dean said the abbey is so reliant on foreign visitor income it lost £12 million this year and will lose £12 million next year.

Certainly worth the £12.50. Superbly filmed with wonderful audio, well balanced organ and captured the resonant acoustic so well. I believe it remains available for a month.

edited to add - link here: https://www.westminster-abbey.org/ab...-sweeter-music

[ardcarp]

It is a concert rather than a service

Well, sort of. But it did have biblical readings and 'congregational' carols even though there was no congregation. It felt more like a 'service' to me, though I suppose the absence of prayers rather makes your point.

[DracoM]

Sorry, but it was the money / ticket thing that got me

[cat]

Sorry, but it was the money / ticket thing that got me

They have a paid Christmas concert and free Christmas carol services every year. This was the concert. The distinction is normally clear, the complete absence of any liturgy or minister for starters, not just a case of leaving the surplices on their hooks.

[DracoM]

My mistake then - thought it was a SERVICE!

[inquires]

Web link

It is a concert rather than a service, hence the price.

Well worth watching was the half-hour mini-documentary beforehand, with Barnaby and Paul, both former Westminster choristers, speaking with James O'Donnell and other key people.

The Dean said the abbey is so reliant on foreign visitor income it lost £12 million this year and will lose £12 million next year.

Certainly worth the £12.50. Superbly filmed with wonderful audio, well balanced organ and captured the resonant acoustic so well. I believe it remains available for a month.

edited to add - link here: https://www.westminster-abbey.org/ab...-sweeter-music

I have followed the link but cannot find any mention of how to watch the video of the concert.

[cat]

I have followed the link but cannot find any mention of how to watch the video of the concert.

The "Buy Tickets" button on that page takes you here: https://page.inplayer.com/livefromlo...html?id=135168

From that link you click the "purchase/watch" button in the middle of the video thumbnail. This brings up a login/signup window, where you can create an account to buy tickets.

[ardcarp]

I share Draco's unease at the money thing....but I guess it has to come from somewhere.

[mopsus]

It is a concert rather than a service, hence the price.
The Dean said the abbey is so reliant on foreign visitor income it lost £12 million this year and will lose £12 million next year.

Maybe the Abbey should diversify its income stream? A visit to the Abbey gives the impression that it exists primarily as a tourist attraction for all these 'foreign visitors'. Although a lot of other sources of income would also have been unavailable now.

I've don't enjoy many carol concerts because they often keep a lot of the trappings of a service, such as Bible readings and hymns in which everyone can join, but charge to attend, and so feel neither one thing nor the other.

[cat]

The abbey have announced a FREE Service of Carols and Readings for Christmas will be live-streamed on 22nd December.

https://www.westminster-abbey.org/abbey-events/advent-and-christmas/2020/december/christmas-carols-and-readings

[ardcarp]