A Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols: The Centenary Service

Audio Download, CD

Price range: £8.99 through £14.00

The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge
Henry Websdale & Dónal McCann Organ Scholars
Guy Johnston Cello Soloist

Directed by Sir Stephen Cleobury

The Revd Dr Stephen Cherry Dean
The Revd Andrew Hammond Chaplain
Ian Griffiths Dean’s Verger
Malwina Sołtys Deputy Dean’s Verger

Release date: 8 November 2019

Format

Clear

“It’s superb, captured in rich, resonant sound with wonderful heft from the organ. A total winner.”
Limelight Magazine

In 2018 Sir Stephen Cleobury and the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge celebrated 100 years of Nine Lessons & Carols, the iconic festival that is enjoyed by millions around the world each year at Christmas time. Now this landmark event is available in its entirety on the official anniversary release from the King’s College label.

In addition to being the 100^th anniversary, the 2018 Festival marked the final time that Sir Stephen Cleobury, the College’s longstanding Director of Music, would lead the service before his retirement in September 2019. During his tenure, Cleobury introduced the tradition of commissioning a new carol each year, and this release includes the world premiere of O mercy divine, written by current Master of the Queen’s Music, Judith Weir.

Captured in the highest quality and presented in a stunning hardback book with over 50 pages of notes, commentary and photography documenting the festival’s legacy, A Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols: The Centenary Service is the definitive account of the anniversary and the opportunity to experience a once in a lifetime piece of musical history.

When playing the disc in a standard CD player, two tracks are omitted because of technical limitations. When purchasing the CD, download links will be provided for these tracks.

		Playing time – 81:55
1	Once in royal David’s City	4:21	H. J. Gauntlett and A. H. Mann, desc. S. Cleobury
2	The Bidding Prayer, Lord’s Prayer and Benediction	3:17
3	Up! good Christen folk	1:20	Piæ Cantiones, harm. G. R. Woodward
4	First Lesson	2:44
5	Adam lay ybounden	1:11	Boris Ord
6	Jesus Christ the apple tree	2:40	Elizabeth Poston
7	Second Lesson	1:03
8	In dulci jubilo	3:05	German traditional, arr. Robert Lucas de Pearsall
9*	I saw three ships	2:15	English traditional, arr. Simon Preston
10	Third Lesson	1:08
11	Nowell sing we	3:08	Mediæval, ed. Stephen Cleobury
12	Unto us is born a Son	2:21	Piæ Cantiones, arr. David Willcocks
13	Fourth Lesson	1:59
14	A Spotless Rose	2:45	Herbert Howells
15	The Lamb	3:07	John Tavener
16	Fifth Lesson	2:31
17	Joys Seven	3:15	Traditional, arr. Stephen Cleobury
18	Bogoróditse Dyevo	1:16	Arvo Pärt
19	Sixth Lesson	1:01
20	What sweeter music	4:09	John Rutter
21	Stille Nacht	2:29	Franz Gruber, arr. Philip Ledger
22	Seventh Lesson	1:40
23	In the bleak mid-winter	4:08	Harold Darke
24*	While shepherds watched their flocks by night	2:54	After C. Tye, desc. Stephen Cleobury
25	Eighth Lesson	2:45
26	O mercy divine	3:57	Judith Weir
27	Sir Christèmas	1:44	William Mathias
28	Ninth Lesson	2:09
29	O come, all ye faithful	4:23	Adeste fideles, desc. David Willcocks
30	Collect and Blessing	1:06
31	Hark! the herald angels sing	3:25	Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, desc. Stephen Cleobury
32	In dulci jubilo, BWV 729	2:37	Johann Sebastian Bach

Recorded live at 192kHz 24-bit PCM in the Chapel of King’s College, Cambridge, by kind permission of the Provost and Scholars, 24 December 2018.

With thanks to Steve Richards and the BBC Radio Outside Broadcast team.

Soloists
Once in royal David’s City George Hill
I saw three ships George Hill
A Spotless Rose Charlie Baigent
Joys Seven Jack Bowley
In the bleak mid-winter James Micklethwaite

Organists
During the service the organ was played by the Senior Organ Scholar, Henry Websdale.

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