For many people in the UK I suspect Christmas really starts
at a couple of minutes after 3 pm (UK time) on Christmas Eve
when over the radio comes the sound of a lone choirboy singing
the first verse of Once in Royal David’s city.
The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols has begun.
The service began in 1918, instituted by the college’s
newly-appointed Dean, Eric Milner-White (1884-1963). In a very
interesting and well written booklet note Emma Disley tells
the story of the establishment and evolution of the service,
giving due credit to Truro Cathedral, on whose service Milner-White
modelled his liturgy. He was quite a remarkable man. He studied
at King’s as an undergraduate, returned there as the College
Chaplain (1912-14) and then saw active service - in which he
distinguished himself - in the First World War as an infantry
officer. He returned to King’s as Dean in early 1918 and
remained there until 1941 when he became Dean of York Minster,
which post he held until his death. The Christmas Eve service
which Milner-White established in 1918 - and which the BBC has
broadcast since 1928 - has remained unchanged in terms of the
prayers and readings, including Milner-White’s wonderful
Bidding Prayer which remains an outstanding example of the use
of English in the liturgy. However, the music has evolved over
the years and nowadays presents a very varied cross-section
of the familiar and the unfamiliar.
This pair of CDs, which the College has issued under its own
imprint, preserves the 2010 Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
in its entirety. So we get the lessons, all very well read,
and the opening and closing prayers. As an inspired appendix
the set also includes five carols commissioned for the service
in the last few years and a brand new one by John Rutter, specially
composed for this recording.
Stephen Cleobury has been Director of Music at King’s
since 1982 and it was he who decided, early in his tenure, to
establish what has now become a tradition of commissioning a
new carol every year. A few years ago EMI issued a recording
of all the commissions from 1983-2004 and now these five new
recordings bring the cycle bang up to date as it were, with
the exception of John Tavener’s Away in a manger
(2005), which the choir has recorded on another disc (review).
The 2012 commission is from Carl Vine and his setting of Tennyson’s
words, Ring out, wild bells will be heard for the first
time on 24 December 2012.
One pleasing feature of Cleobury’s programmes is that
he usually includes the work of his distinguished predecessors.
The 2010 Festival was no exception and we find settings or arrangements
by Boris Ord (1897-1961), Sir David Willcocks (b.1919) and by
Cleobury’s immediate predecessor, the late Sir Philip
Ledger (1937-2012), whose excellent arrangement of Sussex
Carol is given a vibrant performance here. Incidentally
Ledger will be remembered at this year’s Festival when
a couple of his arrangements will be included.
Having listened to the Festival frequently over the years I’d
say that the 2010 service is pretty representative both as regards
choice of repertoire and standard of performance. The latter,
as you would expect, is very high indeed. My only quibbles -
and they are quibbles - are that the tone of the tenors
sounds, to my ears, a little harsh at times and that the pronunciation
of words by the trebles can occasionally sound a touch precious
- listen, for example, to the way they sing “wonderful”
in the first verse of the Rutter. The only performance which
I didn’t enjoy was Villette’s lovely Hymne à
la Vierge. This, I think, is taken too swiftly and the pronunciation
of the word “alleluia”, while it may be authentically
Gallic - though I’ve never heard a French choir pronounce
it this way - sounds terribly affected. For the rest, everything
is up to King’s usual exceptionally high technical standards.
Let me mention a few specifics. Cleobury’s arrangement
of A Virgin most pure is both delightful and effective
- though I must say I didn’t care for his treatment of
the final verse of Once in royal David’s city,
which is too fussy. Peter Tranchell’s setting of If
ye would hear the angels sing has a very pleasing
- and very English - lilt to it. I’ve reviewed a couple
of discs recently that have included Jan Sandström’s
stunning arrangement of Det är en ros utsprungen
and it’s done very well here - and sung in Swedish. Equally
successful, and in complete contrast, is Peter Hurford’s
splendidly joyous Sunny bank. I love the marriage of
the traditional English words and a traditional French tune
in June Nixon’s arrangement of The holly and the ivy.
Two King’s commissions were included in this service.
Judith Weir’s Illuminare, Jerusalem was one of
the very first commissions - in 1985. It’s one of the
best and certainly one of the most durable. The King’s
choir has revived it many times over the years and they give
it a suitably biting performance here. Over the years many leading
composers have written pieces for the Festival and the 2010
commission went to the distinguished Finnish composer, Einojuhani
Rautavaara. His Christmas Carol sets words by the composer
himself. It’s a largely homophonic a cappella piece
and, like so much else of this composer’s output that
I’ve heard, it features very beautiful textures. The slow-moving
music has quite a mystic feel to it.
As I mentioned, the set includes a valuable appendix which brings
the story of the King’s commissions up to date; all the
pieces included here, with the exception of the one by Gabriel
Jackson, are recorded for the first time. The offerings from
Brett Dean and Tansy Davies are not to my taste. Both seem to
rely too much - exclusively? - on effects to make their mark.
Mark-Anthony Turnage’s piece is typically challenging
but I detected a lyrical vein running through the music that’s
impressive. I was intrigued by it. Dominic Muldowney’s
Mary features spare choral textures and an important
tenor solo, which is well sung by Matthew Sandy. This is stark
music which reminds us, importantly, that the harsh physical
conditions of the Nativity story would have been a long way
from the rather cosy image that’s often presented. Gabriel
Jackson’s The Christ Child is a slow, gently ecstatic
piece containing some beautiful and interesting harmonies. As
so often, Jackson displays a real affinity for vocal textures
in this exquisite piece.
As an appendix to the appendix, if you will, we hear John Rutter’s
latest offering, which was written specially for this recording.
All bells in paradise is totally different from the five
pieces that have preceded it; for one thing, it doesn’t
confront the listener as some of them do. It represents the
composer’s typical, easy melodious way. I suppose it doesn’t
break any new ground but is that necessarily the point? It’s
most attractive and its inclusion shows us that a well-constructed
Christmas programme ideally should include some challenges,
some sheer enjoyment - which this Rutter piece provides - and
perhaps, from the traditional carols, some reassurance. Here’s
a little challenge: you try getting the tune of Rutter’s
refrain out of your head! The piece is to be included in the
2012 service from King’s.
This isn’t the first time that the complete Festival has
appeared on CD. EMI issued a recording in 1999 (5736932)
but that wasn’t a recording of the actual service but
rather was set down in December 1998, prior to Christmas Eve,
and in July 1999. EMI subsequently issued a live recording of
the complete 2008 Festival to mark the 80th anniversary
of the BBC’s broadcasts of the service (6860822).
Both of those recordings are still available. More significant,
perhaps, is another EMI album, On Christmas Day. New Carols
from King’s (5580702) that contains 22 of the previous
commissioned carols. Where should choice lie? Well, if you already
have either of the previous EMI complete Festivals - I haven’t
heard the album containing the 2008 service - then you can probably
rest content. However, if you haven’t got a complete recording
of this unique British musical institution the choice is pretty
clear: this newcomer is the obvious selection, not least because
the inclusion of the supplement containing the commissioned
carols is so valuable. It’s also expertly performed and
very well recorded. The booklet is excellent, though I do wish
the typeface was not so minuscule.
John Quinn
Full Track-Listing
CD 1 [52:31]
Once in royal David’s city - arr Stephen CLEOBURY
(b.1948)
Herefordshire Carol - arr. Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872-1958)
Adam lay ybounden - Boris ORD (1897-1961)
A Virgin most pure - arr. Stephen CLEOBURY
In dulci jubilo - arr. Robert Lucas de PEARSALL (1795-1856)
If ye would hear the angels sing - Peter TRANCHELL (1922-1993)
Sussex Carol - arr Philip LEDGER (1937-2012)
God rest you merry, gentlemen - arr David WILLCOCKS (b.
1919)
A tender Shoot - Otto GOLDSCHMIDT (1829-1907)
Det är en ros utsprungen - Michael PRAETORIUS (1571-1621)
arr. Jan SANDSTRÖM (b. 1954)
Hymne à la Vierge - Pierre VILLETTE (1926-1998)
Sunny bank - Peter HURFORD (b. 1930)
Mariä Wiegenlied - Max REGER (1873-1936)
The holly and the ivy - arr June NIXON (b. 1942)
CD 2 [58:24]
While shepherds watched - desc. Stephen CLEOBURY
Illuminare, Jerusalem - Judith WEIR (b. 1954)
Christmas Carol* - Einojuhani RAUTAVAARA (b. 1928)
Ding! Dong! Merrily on high - arr Stephen CLEOBURY
Hark! The herald angels sing - desc.David WILLCOCKS
Organ voluntary: In dulci jubilo - Johann Sebastian BACH
(1685-1750)
COMMISSIONED CAROLS
The Christ Child (2009) - Gabriel JACKSON (b.
1962)
Now comes the dawn*(2007) - Brett DEAN (b. 1961)
Misere’ nobis* (2006) - Mark-Anthony TURNAGE (b.
1960)
Mary* (2008) - Dominic MULDOWNEY (b. 1952)
Christmas Eve* (2011) - Tansy DAVIES (b. 1973)
All bells in paradise* - John RUTTER (b. 1945)
*Denotes first recording
The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge/Stephen Cleobury 