December 22, 2005
king’s college choir
Just a reminder: The King’s College Choir annual carol service will be broadcasted live on the BBC World Service at 1500 GMT (10am NY Time) this Saturday.
It’ll also be on BBC Radio 4 at the same time.
In the US, a lot of Public Radio Stations also carry it, so check your local listings. [UPDATE: More NPR info here.]
This is one of the UK’s most beloved musical traditions, and thanks to the BBC it’s broadcast live globally. As a former treble in one of the best US church choirs (don’t even ask), I can say this is as good as it gets, the top of the tree, if you’re into this kind of thing.
An old friend of mine sang in this choir as a boy, before receiving a music scholarship to Oxford. Imagine being eleven years old and having to reherse this stuff, six hours a day, five days a week, nine months a year. Very hardcore.
I hope you’ll give it a listen.
Hey Hugh
We share the same experience. I too was a boy treble. All but a professional singer with 3 practices and 8 services a week.
I was listening to In the Bleak Mid winter yesterday and tears came to my eyes as I was trasported back all those years ago to when I was a boy
Choral singing rocks — I’ve never experienced any feeling quite like the one when all the voices gel and the entire choir seems to levitate for a few moments. Magical.
But unlike you two girly men, I was an alto. Favourite carols: “Adam Lay Y’Bounden” (check out the language in that — superb) and “Quelle est cette odeur agreable?”
Favourite choral moment: singing Morning Mass at St Vitus Cathedral in Prague. Transcendent.
I was just talking about this with my girlfriend this morning after we noticed the Radio 3 outside broadcast truck parked outside King’s College when I was dropping her off for work
“Adam Lay Y’Bounden
Bounden in a bond
Four thousand winters
thought he not too long…”
Yep. Sang that also. Short and dark. Great stuff.
Just as a heads up, I think the service is actually broadcast on Radio 4, not Radio 3.
As it will be 10 in the morning over here I’ll be setting Audio Hijack to record it.
I sincerely hope you’re not taking the piss Hugh because it’s confession time.
I was lead chorister in the Luton Church choir. At the time (1964), we were among the dogs nuts of UK church choirs.
Sounds schmaltzy, but I got to meet Prince Philip one time and Princess Margaret another. If you believe in any form of tradition, you can’t help but cherish those memories.
In other Christmas event news:
Don’t forget to watch Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion 7pm on BBC1
You lucky brits get to see it first!
BASTARDS!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/doctorwho/ram/xmas_trail_gerkinsmash?size=16x9&bgc=CC0000&nbram=1&bbram=1&nbwm=1&bbwm=1
You’re right, Andreas… Radio 4, not Radio 3. Thanks.
Christmas Music
I agree with Hugh MacLeod at GapingVoid, that Christmas is not Christmas without the Kings College Choir Carol Service. As my children and husband know, I love Christmas music, breaking it out right after Thanksgiving, and not putting it away