Advent Carol Service St John's College, Cambridge

[Wolsey]

[Brief digression] As Matthew Martin has joined this particular thread, I hope he will forgive me for (probably) causing him to blush by congratulating him on winning the Liturgical Award at this year's British Composer Awards on Tuesday evening. Another contributor here, Gabriel Jackson, was shortlisted in the category; I hope he is taking a 'cyber-bow' for that achievement.

[As you were]

[ardcarp]

[ Both Philip Ledger's and Stephen Cleobury's descants for well known Christmas hymns are inferior to those of David Willcocks.

Not sure that's entirely true. There's plenty of room for all of course, but personally I much p
refer the Ledger descants for 'Once in Royal' and 'Hark! the herald' to the Willcocks versions. And John Scott's for 'It came upon the midnight clear' in CfC5 takes a lot of beating.

Andrew Carter's setting (with descant) of O come O come Emmanuel is fantastic.

[Roger Judd]

For me, the prize goes to Christopher Robinson for his versions of O come, all ye ... and Hark! the herald. It's the 'blue' chords that do it for me, every time!
RJ

[Wolsey]

For me, the prize goes to Christopher Robinson for his versions of O come, all ye ... and Hark! the herald. It's the 'blue' chords that do it for me, every time!

Hear, hear. CJR very kindly responded to my request and sent me a copy of the descant sometime ago, before it was recently published. Apart from our 'midnight mass' when we sing Willcocks' version, we sing CJR's at all our carol services.

[Keraulophone]

Another contributor here, Gabriel Jackson, was shortlisted in the [liturgical] category

and he ought doubly to be congratulated for being shortlisted in two separate categories, liturgical (for Cantate Domino, written for Truro) and choral (Choral Symphony, written for BBCS).

[Matthew Martin]

[Brief digression] As Matthew Martin has joined this particular thread, I hope he will forgive me for (probably) causing him to blush by congratulating him on winning the Liturgical Award at this year's British Composer Awards on Tuesday evening. Another contributor here, Gabriel Jackson, was shortlisted in the category; I hope he is taking a 'cyber-bow' for that achievement.

[As you were]

Thanks Wolsey - no need for that.. However, here's a link to the score if you're interested in seeing what the fuss was about!
Bravo SJC.

http://www.choralstore.com/I-saw-the-Lord-17571.aspx

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

... but personally I much prefer the Ledger descants for 'Once in Royal' and 'Hark! the herald' to the Willcocks versions. And John Scott's for 'It came upon the midnight clear' in CfC5 takes a lot of beating.

Agree about Ledger's Once in Royal descant - quite stunning. But I do wish Stephen Cleobury would stop thinking he can write descants. I see he's still trying for this year's 9LC. A great choir trainer but a rather feeble descant writer.

[DracoM]

And that Matthew Martin has a piece being sung at St T's NYC Fifth Avenue too. John Scott knowing talent when he sees it?