Festival of Nine lessons and Carols 24th / 25th Dec 2010

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

So no-one else liked the new O Come descant? For once , I thought Stephen Cleobury had got one right.
My suggestion for next year: stick with the new Cleobury "O Come..."; stick with Willcocks "Hark, the herald..."; revived Philip Ledger's stunning descant for "Once in Royal..."

[subcontrabass]

I thought much of the music made a refreshing change from the treacle that was served up so often in the past.

[Vile Consort]

I'm not sure if it was the acoustic, the new descants or my satellite box, but at times I thought it sounded as if there were strange delay problems between the choir and the congregation.

In a building that size, delays are inevitable. If it's anything like York Minster, those at the back can find themselves singing half a line behind those at the front. You can't tell this is happening until you pause between lines to hear the next line well under way!

[moeranbiogman]

Were we really listening to the same choir for the radio and TV broadcast? The TV version was well sung, with tight ensemble and good upper register in the treble line. By contrast I thought the live Radio 3 relay highlighted some very 'tired' singing, with boys at full stretch and the men indulging in a good deal of overwork.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Well that was probably the reality. They would have been tired, though it did not disturb me as much as the lack of cohesion in the sound, which was much more noticeable than usual. Incidentally, the Radio 3 broadcast was not live, but a recording from the previous day's live Radio 4 broadcast.

[WmByrd]

I wondered if it was old boys politiking that caused the inclusion of Bethlehem down in it's 'original' version, when many choirs are now using the (Ex St. Johns Choirmaster) David Hill edited version mixing solo parts with the four part textures.

I imagine that Mr Cleobury preferred to do the version as written by Warlock because it's the well-loved original. There's nothing wrong with David Hill's arrangement (I've recorded it and rather like it as a concept and in execution), but new does not necessarily mean upgraded, nor should it be regarded as a matter of fashion!

[WmByrd]

Besides which the Oxford college is "The Queen's College" ...

In which case I must insist upon 'The King's College of Our Lady and St Nicholas in Cambridge'!

[BBMmk2]

In which case I must insist upon 'The King's College of Our Lady and St Nicholas in Cambridge'!

In which case as a few people are being rather fussy about punctuation. Queens' College Cambridge.

[ardcarp]

It is interesting to read, at a distance, people's comments on the Kings' carols. I heard a bit on i-player and concur that the treble sound was good. I have never in recent years found the overall result particularly [Imusical The men sounded as if they had just emerged from the pub and were sight-reading their way through it. The ensemble was at times scrappy and the impression was one of 'getting through it'. Given the fabulous resources at Kings, it seems a bit of a disappointment.

[DracoM]

It is interesting to read, at a distance, people's comments on the Kings' carols. I heard a bit on i-player and concur that the treble sound was good. I have never in recent years found the overall result particularly [Imusical The men sounded as if they had just emerged from the pub and were sight-reading their way through it. The ensemble was at times scrappy and the impression was one of 'getting through it'. Given the fabulous resources at Kings, it seems a bit of a disappointment.

Cleobury seems to be encouraging the trebles to sing with much more open, vowel sounds, thus sharpening the choir impact / sound, which in turn presumably encourages the men to preoject harder. Actually, I quite liked the tenor tone: young, plenty of attack and clear lines, yes occasionally OTT, but not unacceptably so IMO.

I'm afraid I got truly fed up with what felt like too regular twinkly, spangly jingly organ intros before the carols signalling a kind of advert soundtrack jollity, and for me, the new Holly and the Ivy was the least likeable of such tinselly rubbish: if good singing cannot disguise the thinness of some of that stuff, then given my appalling judgement, presumably it is now going to appear on countless choir lists nationwide. Hey ho!

The Sandstrom and the new Raautavara both challenged, but the Sandstrom in that aocustic was perfectly suited, and for me, a very fine performance, while the Raautavara needed a bit more, light and shade maybe?

[
[Above only applies to the R4 live tx. Not near a telly or R3]

Season's Greetings to all.

[ardcarp]

I'm afraid I got truly fed up with what felt like too regular twinkly, spangly jingly organ intros before the carols signalling a kind of advert soundtrack jollity

Yes, there's room for one such in the programme, but I agree....too many this time.

[Alison]

It could have been my mood but I thought there was more passion in the direction
this year. Good point from Draco on the overly sugary contribution of organ.

As I say most years I would love to have seen Stephen Layton appointed at Kings.

[BBMmk2]

I thought that in places, ensemble was rather. shall we say haphazard?

[cheryltweedy]

Alison,

Interesting point you make about direction - my general appoint as I explain below is that sound at Kings is a great deal more gripping than it used to be but its pure blend has suffered as a consequence. As a former member of 'another choir' of 'another university' I speak only as a former Chorister. my own feeling is that the sound of King's is much more generic now than its famous 'cooing' sound of Willcocks. There are some that welcome this and others that bemoan the fact that kings has lost its own unique identity. I went to evensong this year for the first time in a while and two things struck me compared to when I went regularly in the late 80's.

Firstly that there was a great deal more power and force to the sound from the boys but particularly the men - more a four part choir than a pure top line with backing singers. The other thing I noticed was that that the singers (boys included) used a great deal more vibrato in their singing. This supposedly free sound caused the sound to blur and distort in the space of the chapel - my general feeling being that it was more exciting and gripping but far less blended than under Willcocks. The tenors I'm afraid to say Draco were rather edgy and prominent - not so much their constant vibrato but the lack of depth to their sound not helped by the lack of rich bass. The altos I should say I thought excellent. The music was as usual total saccharine rubbish bar a few carols. I thought this year marked a further change in the sound of the choir towards something more 'European' - If SC is doing this should he not do repertoire that suits this new sound? Interesting to note the number of people viewing this discussion compared to the number participating in it.

Cheryl.

[Magnificat]

It could have been my mood but I thought there was more passion in the direction
this year. Good point from Draco on the overly sugary contribution of organ.

As I say most years I would love to have seen Stephen Layton appointed at Kings.

Stephen Layton's boys at the Temple were poor.

He is at his best with adult singers as at Trinity.

VCC