Saturday 26 December 2020

Carols from King's, 2020




Not a year goes by without my watching 'Carols from King's' on Christmas Eve.

I didn't think this year's offering was one of the best, but it did have it's high points. The programme was a little safe, with its concentration on what one thinks of as children's door-to-door carols.

In the bleak mid-winter was beautifully sung, but the arrangement far too slow. The Sussex carol was excellent, and Still, still, still, was probably amongst the best.

I was also very pleased to see The King's Singers accompanying the college choir. They were founded by three old boys from my alma mater back in the 1960's. They all went on to King's College together; hence the name. Since those days, of course, the choir line-up has changed countless times.

Mr YouTube won't allow me to post a video from the service, but if you follow this link ......   
In dulci jubilo | Carols from King's 2020 - YouTube    you should be able to hear In dulci jubilo.

All in all, another wonderful experience. I wouldn't miss it for the world.

11 comments:

  1. I listened to it. Really sounds wonderful.

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  2. Beautiful voices. Great start to Boxing Day

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  3. In some respects I enjoyed this year's service more. The acoustics seemed better, and the King's Singers were fabulous, but what should have been congregational hymns were definitely lacking a few hundred voices. I enjoyed the readings in different spots too. I think the cameras had more freedom.

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  4. Beautiful, I am sure. Last night we watched what I think was a heavily edited version of the Royal Command Performance. I was reluctant as in the past it could be quite stultifying but it was slick and really well done, and best of all, entertaining.

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  5. Carols from Kings is always lovely to watch and gets us in the mood fir Christmas. If I have to nit-pick my only criticism was that it was a little sombre and dirgey but it was still lovely ! How was your turkey Cro ? Ours was the best EVER !!! XXXX

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    1. I think ours was too; it almost fell apart, it was so tender and moist. Delish.

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  6. I wonder if Carole King likes Carol's from King's.

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  7. It always used to be on in our house but I haven't listened to it regularly for some years. I must remedy that this afternoon. Thank you.

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  8. I always used to enjoy it too.Until one year the hot sun was pouring through the stained glass and everyone looked hot and bothered. Obviously recorded months before. Spoilt it for me. Haven't had a tele for 11 yrs anyway. Our Christmas Eve viewing was The Good Life christmas 1976, I think.On Brit Box. Brilliant.

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  9. Although I still watch it, I have slowly been going off Carols from Kings for a number of years now. I regret to say that it is the readers of the readings as much as anything else and together with the less than traditional versions of some of the Carols. However, it is a good starting point for Christmas for me as always, and when I worked it was the signal that work was over and I would have two days off.

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    1. There was one reader that really got on my nerves. She behaved as if she was at a theatrical audition, and yet her diction was awful.

      As much as I always liked Stephen Cleobury, when he was Director of Music, some of his descants/harmonies were way over the top, and often bore no relationship at all to the tunes. The present man (I don't know his name) seems to be more traditional. I enjoyed it, other than 'In the bleak mid winter' which was far too slow.

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