A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols Dec 25th 2012 2 p.m.

[Hornspieler]

I appreciate that this may set cats into dovecotes but I wonder if the problem is in the fact that the scriptural lessons to be read are pretty well identical year after year. I look down the KCC list and think same old, same old. The obligatory 'new' carol / commission, but the readings are identical.

In one sense, you could say that this provides a tried and tested shorthand way of celebrating the feast, a natural structure, and I can see the force of that argument. OTOH, there is nothing inherent in the title of the service AFAICS which suggests that you have to choose those particular lessons, use those carols / hymns in THAT order, or that trajectory. e.g. Once in Royal is actually rather oddly placed at the VERY beginning, whereas strictly chronologically it should be towards the end, shouldn't it - so why is it where it is in the Truro / KCC pattern? Would be nice to know what other starters are employed in churches etc?

Yes, of course, readings to mark [a] the Annunciation and [b] Christ's birth, and rounded off with John 1 would seem to be de rigeur. Would the 'festival' be susceptible of different musical 'opportunities' if the readings were revised?

I just wonder if perhaps some DoMs / choirs secretly groan at the thought of yet another more or less identical service to the KCC pattern [straitjacket?] Have we now effectively painted this story musically and narratively into quick setting concrete, such that we have actually emasculated it and extinguished its capacity for engendering thoughtful wonder? For those who have their notions of Christmas now dictated by more by ads on telly and frantic commercial blizzarding in shop / online than the church's year, or who attend church rarely and only on such occasions, there is indeed the comfort of predictability, of cosy tradition - yes, I can and do seriously understand that, but....but.....


[ Thus I obey the instructions of lighting the blue touch paper and standing clear ]

I only take issue with the First Lesson, which for me is too long, too repetitive, linguistically dated and is a trial for a young chorister to get through. I'm not asking for "New English Bible" text - just a shortening of the text and alteration of archaic words.

Excellent singing throughout, especially by the trebles. I doubt if that new commision will be repeated elsewhere.

HS

[Philip]

Excellent singing throughout, especially by the trebles. I doubt if that new commision will be repeated elsewhere.

Indeed - and this is where you can criticise Rutter all you like, but I caught 'All Bells in Paradise' on the radio on the way to Church and it is exactly the sort of piece choirs up and down the country will be queueing up to perform, and I thought it a rather touching piece. As the point was made, whether or you not you liked Carl Vine's piece, I can't see a similar queue forming for it...

Where has that Philip Ledger arrangements of 'Good Christian men, rejoice' been lurking all this time? Sounded rather good to me.

Agree that what I heard sounded very good, and it is very easy to criticise sound engineers but what I heard through the telly at home was superbly balanced and gave something of the acoustical shimmer as well.

Its on the website now to listen again, I'm listening to the rest now.

Edit: well BWV 729 was different, wasn't it?!! Didn't enjioy 'The Three Kings' with that soloist I'm afraid.

[Petrushka]

I managed to catch this on 'time shift' recording not getting back from work until about 4pm. The sound via Freeview was superb, best I've heard and better than anything I ever caught on FM by a country mile.

Agree that the soloist in Three Kings could have been better (the bass in our Parish Church choir back in the 1960s was a model of how this should be done. I can hear him in my head right now) but I thoroughly enjoyed the whole service. It is so much part of my Christmas and always moves me. The last verses of O Come All ye Faithful and Hark the Herald send a real thrill down my spine.

Greatly enjoyed Sir Christemas too.

I keep on saying I'll go this service one year. I see from the KCC website that queueing starts at 8am with doors opening at 1.30pm. Can anyone who has done this advise whether or not there is any protection from the elements? It seems an awful long time to be standing around in the freezing cold/heavy rain/snow etc.

[VodkaDilc]

Terrible FM reception of R4 here in central London... Atmospherics? Damp in the Fens?

Is it just us?

Strange to read this. I was struck by how good the FM sound was this year. (Surely they can't take that away from us - but that's a different issue.)

Good singing throughout, I thought; choice a carols a bit 'safe'! I loved the Organ Scholar's (if it was him and not SC nipping up to the organ loft for a final bit of glory) take on the final Bach - flourishes such as someone like Koopman might do.

One question: why did they (not for the first time) dodge Willcocks' organ accompaniment for the "Herod" verse of Unto us?. It's wonderful stuff - the sort of thing I waited for each year four or five decades ago. If it was not considered too abrasive to frighten the congregation all those years ago, why duck out now? Are congregations more conservative? And I wonder if the change is sanctioned by DW.

Afterthought: And for those of us hoping to go straight from King's to The Ring at 4.30, the Rutter was excellently placed as a convenient coffee-making break. (it sounded OK from the kitchen - probably the best place!)

[Nick Armstrong]

Greatly enjoyed Sir Christemas too.

I keep on saying I'll go this service one year. I see from the KCC website that queueing starts at 8am with doors opening at 1.30pm. Can anyone who has done this advise whether or not there is any protection from the elements? It seems an awful long time to be standing around in the freezing cold/heavy rain/snow etc.

I love Sir Christémas! "Buvez bien, buvez bien! par toute la compagnie!!!" then the "NOEL" shout at the end.

There is no protection from the elements. I've done it two or three times over the years. Pre-dawn start, primus-stove cooked breakfast, several layers (the East Anglian wind doesn't half whip round those corners).

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

I watched a little of the KCC service recorded on BBC2 this evening, before shifting to iPlayer for today's service on Radio 4. I know the televised service is recorded (though not how long ago) but wondered if the solo chorister for 'Once in Royal David's City' is the same. I've always believed that the soloist is not told until moments before the service begins, but the chorister in this afternoon's service sounded very similar to the lad singing the solo verse on television. I'm sure someone here will know...

[Stanley Stewart]

My hunch, too, IGI.

[teamsaint]

Sadly I missed it, but will try to catch up tomorrow on iplayer.
Also wanted to say Happy Christmas to everybody over here. Hope you all enjoy some wonderful choral music over the Christmas season.

[Petrushka]

There is no protection from the elements. I've done it two or three times over the years. Pre-dawn start, primus-stove cooked breakfast, several layers (the East Anglian wind doesn't half whip round those corners).

Thanks, Caliban. Oh dear, that really is not good news and I can't see how the College can promote this as being a sensible idea given the likely weather on Christmas Eve. Surely, a much fairer system given the huge popularity of this service is to allocate tickets by ballot?

[ardcarp]

then the "NOEL" shout at the end.

There's a (probably apocryphal) story of the new choral scholar who was a bit up himself. The other men informed him that the shout was so loud, no-one could actually hear the word 'Noel' and it was a tradition in the choir to shout whatever word they liked. They agreed privately amongst themselves not to shout anything at all and bribed the choirboys into silence too. So the piece ended with a loud pedal note and the hapless fellow shouting 'B******S at the top of his voice.

[Petrushka]

There's a (probably apocryphal) story of the new choral scholar who was a bit up himself. The other men informed him that the shout was so loud, no-one could actually hear the word 'Noel' and it was a tradition in the choir to shout whatever word they liked. They agreed privately amongst themselves not to shout anything at all and bribed the choirboys into silence too. So the piece ended with a loud pedal note and the hapless fellow shouting 'B******S at the top of his voice.

[Anna]

There's a (probably apocryphal) story of the new choral scholar who was a bit up himself. The other men informed him that the shout was so loud, no-one could actually hear the word 'Noel' and it was a tradition in the choir to shout whatever word they liked. They agreed privately amongst themselves not to shout anything at all and bribed the choirboys into silence too. So the piece ended with a loud pedal note and the hapless fellow shouting 'B******S at the top of his voice.

I shall go to bed,. happy!

[mangerton]

There's a (probably apocryphal) story of the new choral scholar who was a bit up himself. The other men informed him that the shout was so loud, no-one could actually hear the word 'Noel' and it was a tradition in the choir to shout whatever word they liked. They agreed privately amongst themselves not to shout anything at all and bribed the choirboys into silence too. So the piece ended with a loud pedal note and the hapless fellow shouting 'B******S at the top of his voice.

[Philip]

One question: why did they (not for the first time) dodge Willcocks' organ accompaniment for the "Herod" verse of Unto us?. It's wonderful stuff - the sort of thing I waited for each year four or five decades ago. If it was not considered too abrasive to frighten the congregation all those years ago, why duck out now? Are congregations more conservative? And I wonder if the change is sanctioned by DW.

I recall reading somewhere that DW still attends the service each year, so I guess he can't disapprove that strongly! It is most effective if you instruct the congregation (like the choir) to sing Men only in verse 3 and Upper Voices in verse 4.

[VodkaDilc]

I recall reading somewhere that DW still attends the service each year, so I guess he can't disapprove that strongly! It is most effective if you instruct the congregation (like the choir) to sing Men only in verse 3 and Upper Voices in verse 4.

Chapel Royal, Tower of London went one step further with Unto us on R4 this morning. The Herod verse was omitted altogether! What is wrong with Willcocks' parallel 5ths and octaves? (or is the subject matter too sensitive for today's congregations?)