Nine Lessons and Carols 24th Dec 2011 [R4 4 live ] 25th Dec [R3 / 2 p.m. ]

[DracoM]

Nine Lessons and Carols
King’s College, Cambridge


Order of Service:



Once in royal David's city (descant Cleobury)
Bidding Prayer read by the Dean
I wonder as I wander (Rütti)

First lesson: Genesis 3: 8-19 [ read by a Chorister ]
Remember, O thou man (Ravenscroft)
Adam lay ybounden (Ord)

Second lesson: Genesis 22: 15-18 [read by a Choral Scholar]
Angels from the realms of glory (arr Jacques)
Riu, riu, chiu (Flecha)

Third lesson: Isaiah 9 : 2, 6-7 [ read by a Member of College Staff ]
Nowell sing we now all and some (medieval)
Sussex Carol (arr Willcocks)
It came upon the midnight clear (descant Cleobury)

Fourth lesson: Isaiah 11: 1-3a, 4a, 6-9 [ read by a Representative of the City of Cambridge ]
A spotless rose (arr Ledger)
The Lamb (Tavener)

Fifth lesson: Luke 1: 26-35, 38 [read by a Representative of Eton College]
Blessed be that maid Mary (arr Cleobury)
Bogoróditse Dyévo (Pärt)

Sixth lesson: Luke 2: 1, 3-7 read by the Chaplain
Christmas Eve (Tansy Davies - first performance, commissioned by King's College)
Sans Day Carol (arr Rutter)

Seventh lesson: Luke 2: 8-16 [read by the Director of Music]
The Shepherd's Carol (Chilcott)
While shepherds watched (descant Cleobury)

Eighth lesson: Matthew 2:1-12 [read by the Vice-Provost]
The Three Kings (Cornelius arr Atkins)
Illuminare, Jerusalem (Weir)

Ninth lesson: John 1: 1-14 [read by the Provost]
O come, all ye faithful (arr Willcocks)
Collect and Blessing
Hark! the herald angels sing (descant Willcocks)


Organ voluntaries:
In dulci jubilo BWV 729 (Bach)
Toccata, Op 104 (Jongen) [broadcast on Radio 3 on Christmas Day only]


Organ Scholar: Ben-San Lau
Director of Music: Stephen Cleobury







NB: please excuse early posting. Family matters.

[Nick Armstrong]

The revelation for me last year was the extraordinary arrangement of "Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen" by Sandstrom. I don't see anything this year that is likely to do the same, all rather familiar. The Weir "Illuminare.." is good but... worthy of inclusion every single year these days...?

[VodkaDilc]

I always feel it's a shame that we never hear the last organ piece live. Couldn't the BBC delay the next programme just ONCE a year? (No problem in extending The World at One!)

Nice to see Willcocks' descants coming back into favour at King's. Ledger and Cleobury always seemed keen to replace his with their own offerings; this seems to be an acknowledgement that DW's are the classics.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Nice to see Willcocks' descants coming back into favour at King's. Ledger and Cleobury always seemed keen to replace his with their own offerings; this seems to be an acknowledgement that DW's are the classics.

Agreed, though I would like to see the return of the Ledger descant to "Once in Royal..." - even better than the Willcocks, in my opinion.

As an aside, does anyone know the Thomas F. Dunhill descant to "It Came upon the Midnight Clear"?

[W.Kearns]

Is the Dunhill descant to 'It came upon...' the one where the descanters sing 'Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, goodwill to all men' above Sears' words?

[Y Mab Afradlon]

This list is again very predictable and so is the Carols from Kings TV programme.

[Double Diapason]

This list is again very predictable and so is the Carols from Kings TV programme.

I agree. Time for a change of DoM?!

[DracoM]

I feel very sorry for them.

The Christmas treadmill starts in Mid-late November with rehearsals and takes for all manner of special TV things / trails for various organisations. How much pressure there is on them to sing the standard repertoire, the same 'much loved' [ lethal phrase IMO ] material can be guessed at.

The choir is of course one of the college's major financial responsibilities and thus has also to be one of their major revenue earners. IMO, it is a truly unenviable position for both DoM and choir, and in the event of Mr C retiring any time soon, any young DoM-in-waiting thinking of KCC might do him/herself a favour and give the idea of applying an amount of very careful thought before doing so.

[mercia]

Interesting (well I think so) to compare with the 1958 service, linked to on the R3 website

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radio3/1958-festival-of-nine-lessons.shtml

a shorter affair in those days

[mopsus]

In the last few years, the choir has undertaken short foreign tours after Michaelmas term ends. This year's was to the Netherlands.

[DracoM]

.................so as to be nice and fresh for the Christmas circus? Hmmm.

[Y Mab Afradlon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr6yZ-deibU

[Alison]

The tedium arises from the blandness of style and generality of phrasing
rather than the choice of music.

[decantor]

In the last few years, the choir has undertaken short foreign tours after Michaelmas term ends. This year's was to the Netherlands.

A friend of mine in Amsterdam went to see them in concert a few days ago. He rarely ventures any specifically musical comment, but he did remark that it would have been nice to see just one smile from the performers. Hmm.

[Petrushka]

Interesting (well I think so) to compare with the 1958 service, linked to on the R3 website

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radio3/1958-festival-of-nine-lessons.shtml

a shorter affair in those days

Trying the 1958 Service through ordinary stereo but nothing coming from the right hand speaker. Am I missing something? Connected via lap top to hi-fi via phono plugs.