Truro Cathedral - Three Festivals of Nine Lessons and Carols 2020

[Keraulophone]

Due to pandemic conditions, Truro Cathedral Choir have this season sung eleven carol services, ten to the limited congregations allowed in the building and one, released today on our YouTube channel, pre-recorded with boys, girls and back row. At the risk of carol-overload, I invite you to sample any or all of the three Bishop Benson-type Festivals (which have been sung in Truro every year since 1880, 38 years before being adopted by King’s, and of which I have had the privilege of singing in the last 32) at the following links:

Festival of 9L&Cs pre-recorded with reduced boys, reduced girls and ATB - https://youtu.be/gdnO_WYv7HI
Note by Director of Music Chris Gray: https://www.trurocathedral.org.uk/ne...ons-and-carols

Festival of 9L&Cs live on 23/12/20 with boys and ATB - https://youtu.be/qPkkWtJuoHw
Order of Service: https://buzzstore1.blob.core.windows...0corrected.pdf

Festival of 9L&Cs live on 24/12/20 with girls and ATB - https://youtu.be/fSTEWebtrWg
Order of Service: https://buzzstore1.blob.core.windows...20December.pdf

[cloughie]

Due to pandemic conditions, Truro Cathedral Choir have this season sung eleven carol services, ten to the limited congregations allowed in the building and one, released today on our YouTube channel, pre-recorded with boys, girls and back row. At the risk of carol-overload, I invite you to sample any or all of the three Bishop Benson-type Festivals (which have been sung in Truro every year since 1880, 38 years before being adopted by King’s, and of which I have had the privilege of singing in the last 32) at the following links:

Festival of 9L&Cs pre-recorded with reduced boys, reduced girls and ATB - https://youtu.be/gdnO_WYv7HI
Note by Director of Music Chris Gray: https://www.trurocathedral.org.uk/ne...ons-and-carols

Festival of 9L&Cs live on 23/12/20 with boys and ATB - https://youtu.be/qPkkWtJuoHw
Order of Service: https://buzzstore1.blob.core.windows...0corrected.pdf

Festival of 9L&Cs live on 24/12/20 with girls and ATB - https://youtu.be/fSTEWebtrWg
Order of Service: https://buzzstore1.blob.core.windows...20December.pdf

The originals are still the greatest - it amazes me each year when the Beeb rabbit on about the wonderful Kings been doing it since 1918 but give Archbishop Benson no credit for his brilliant idea to get the cider drinkers out of the pubs!

[DracoM]

Could not agree with you MORE about KCC and BBC.
Excellent singing from Truro!!

[gradus]

Due to pandemic conditions, Truro Cathedral Choir have this season sung eleven carol services, ten to the limited congregations allowed in the building and one, released today on our YouTube channel, pre-recorded with boys, girls and back row. At the risk of carol-overload, I invite you to sample any or all of the three Bishop Benson-type Festivals (which have been sung in Truro every year since 1880, 38 years before being adopted by King’s, and of which I have had the privilege of singing in the last 32) at the following links:

Festival of 9L&Cs pre-recorded with reduced boys, reduced girls and ATB - https://youtu.be/gdnO_WYv7HI
Note by Director of Music Chris Gray: https://www.trurocathedral.org.uk/ne...ons-and-carols

Festival of 9L&Cs live on 23/12/20 with boys and ATB - https://youtu.be/qPkkWtJuoHw
Order of Service: https://buzzstore1.blob.core.windows...0corrected.pdf

Festival of 9L&Cs live on 24/12/20 with girls and ATB - https://youtu.be/fSTEWebtrWg
Order of Service: https://buzzstore1.blob.core.windows...20December.pdf

Many thanks. A much missed visit this year for us.

[ardcarp]

Thanks K. Truly glorious singing! No risk of 'carol-overload' here.

[DracoM]

[Rolmill]

Just listening to the pre-recorded service - very lovely singing (what a fabulous sounding mixed top line!).

But I can't find an order of service, can anyone point me in the right direction?

[Keraulophone]

I can't find an order of service, can anyone point me in the right direction?

I'm sorry that, unlike the other two services which included a congregation, there isn't a published order for this 'back-up' pre-recorded service, though the DoM has written:

"Many of the carols I have chosen for this specially filmed ‘Nine Lessons’ have a local link. There is an arrangement of ‘Once in royal’ by former Truro organ scholar Philip Stopford, and a ‘Silent night’ by former Truro Assistant Organist Simon Morley. There is a setting of a carol from St Day, the ‘Sans Day Carol’, by John Rutter and there are two recent carols by Cornish composers, Becky McGlade and Russell Pascoe. And then there are some familiar classics like Boris Ord’s ‘Adam lay ybounden’ and Philip Ledger’s ‘Sussex Carol’."

[Rolmill]

Thanks Keraulophone for the helpful information. I was particularly interested in the 'Once in Royal' arrangement, 'Infant Holy' (which I saw from one of the other services is by Becky McGlade) and 'Silent Night' - all were very effective IMO. Quite an intense few days for ATB by the sound of it, but what great results.

[sturkel]

What an impressive set of services, with no overlap of repertoire between them, other than the traditional 'congregational' hymns, and each of them featuring either new or recently commissioned carols, carols with Cornish connections and a couple of carols by women composers.

Wonderful musical singing all round from both ATB's and the top lines. If I have to pick a favourite, Neil Cox's 'I sing of a maiden' from the Girls + ATB service stopped me in my tracks. I've returned to it several times over the weekend - fabulous singing by the top line in both that and Helena Paish's impressive new piece.

Thank you Truro: you've made my solitary Christmas.

[DracoM]

[jonfan]

Agree with all above. It’s good that these difficult conditions have made us more aware of the fine quality of singing and worship going on in such places as Truro, and with very good AV as demonstrated here. HP’s new piece is a winner; a new talent to enjoy.