Festival of 9 Lessons & Carols, King's College Cambridge 2013

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

3.00 p.m. 24th December Radio 4; repeated 2.00 p.m. 25th December Radio 3

Hymn: Once in Royal David's City (desc. Cleobury)
Bidding Prayer read by the Dean
Ding, Dong! merrily on high (arr. Williamson)
First lesson: Genesis 3, vv 8-19 read by a Chorister
Jesus Christ the apple tree (Poston)
Hear the voice of the Bard (Musgrave - first performance, commissioned by King's College)
Second lesson: Genesis 22 vv 15-18 read by a Choral Scholar
Love came down at Christmas (Morris, arr. Cleobury)
Joy to the world (Holford, arr. Keyte and Parrott)
Third lesson: Isaiah 9 vv 2, 6-7 read by a Member of the College Staff
Illuminare, Jerusalem (Weir)
Hymn: Unto us is born a Son (arr. Willcocks)
Fourth lesson: Isaiah 11 vv 1-3a, 4a, 6-9 read by a Representative of the City of Cambridge
The Lamb (Tavener)
A New Year Carol (Britten)
Fifth lesson: Luke 1 vv 26-35, 38 read by a representative of the sister College at Eton
Angelus ad Virginem (arr. Cleobury)
Hymn to the Virgin (Britten)
Sixth lesson: Luke 2 vv 1, 3-7 read by the Chaplain
Away in a manger (arr. Willcocks)
A Boy was born (Britten)
Seventh lesson: Luke 2 vv 8-16 read by the Director of Music
The Shepherd's Carol (Chilcott)
Hymn: While shepherds watched (desc. Cleobury)
Eighth lesson: Matthew 2 vv 1-12 read by the Vice-Provost
Susanni (Bennett)
I saw three ships (arr. Preston)
Ninth lesson: John 1 vv 1-14 read by the Provost
Hymn: O come, all ye faithful (arr. Willcocks)
Collect and Blessing
Hymn: Hark, the Herald Angels Sing (desc. Cleobury)

Organ voluntaries:
In dulci jubilo (BWV 729) (Bach)
Dieu parmi nous (Messiaen)

Director of Music: Stephen Cleobury
Organ Scholar: Douglas Tang
Producer: Simon Vivian

[Alison]

Same old thing.

[Gabriel Jackson]

Same old thing.

As what?

[Petrushka]

Too much Britten for me.

[DracoM]

Sorry I didn't seem to be up to my job. I'd planned to set out the Order of Service helpfully this afternoon.

I'm afraid it does look a bit over-cautious to me.
I certainly welcome the Britten, the Weir is lovely, and a nice way to remember RRB as well.

[Gabriel Jackson]

I'm afraid it does look a bit over-cautious to me - American market in mind maybe? Perish the thought.

I think perishing it a very good idea

[Sir Velo]

Not enough Britten.

[mercia]

a little about the commission

http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/news/2013/blake-carol.html

[Gabriel Jackson]

a little about the commission
http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/news/2013/blake-carol.html

When I set this text a few years ago it never occurred to me it could be sung liturgically. Really looking forward to hearing what Thea has done with it - she's such a good composer.

[Hautboiste]

Nothing particularly Christmassy about the words of the commissioned piece. This is supposed to be a service of lessons and CAROLS. The order of service is not very inspiring but I'll listen to it and hope that the readers are of a decent standard.

[Gabriel Jackson]

Nothing particularly Christmassy about the words of the commissioned piece. This is supposed to be a service of lessons and CAROLS.

The word 'carol' doesn't have any specific Christmas connotation.

[Anna]

To be honest, just as an ordinary punter, Nine Lessons & Carols, Christmas Eve, Radio 4, to me is the start of Christmas. When 'Once in Royal David's City' rings out then I know Christmas has started and I'm usually in the kitchen cooking the Boxing Day ham or boiling up some giblets or prepping some veg, windows getting steamy, delicious smells ... I'm not bothered what's sung so much as the Readings. To me, the whole thing is a tradition not to be missed.

[DracoM]

Carols were originally 'round dances', sometimes seasonal eg May time, harvest time, as well as Christmas and New Year etc, such that many of them are celebratory and nearly always community-based, intended for audience to become involved in eg singing burdens / choruses / refrains. Hence a number of carols have decidedly up-tempo, foot tapping rhythms.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I like the overall balance between the occasional modern carol and the traditional ones (just as long as SC keeps away from attempting to write descants )

[Hautboiste]

I know the background of the carol and I don't mind some modern carols but what I was trying to say, however badly, about the words of the commission is that there is no mention of Christmas, the Nativity, Jesus and everything a Christmas service should be about. I have no complaint about the words per se. I did, after all, recite various poems from the Songs of Innocence at the chapel Sale of Work from the age of 4. I do wonder at their connection to the point of the service.