It's Christmas Day and I want to wish everyone a happy and peaceful Christmas and a healthy and fulfilling 2016 ! I spent a lovely few days in the south with S and the children. As my birthday is very close to Christmas we had a birthday and Christmas Day celebration actually on my birthday ! It was wonderful, a full tukey dinner with trimmings, a flaming pud, chocolates and nut cracking ( the favourite pastime of W who doesn't even like them !) in front of a roaring fire !
I received a very powerful and zippy cordless vacuum cleaner for both birthday and Christmas and I have enjoyed a festive clean throughout my house - even on Christmas Day ! Joyful work indeed, and my house has never been so clean and sparkly !
After all that expension of energy I sat down to watch Carols from Kings. I once had the pleasure of going to the Christmas Evensong at Kings College Chapel - something everyone who adores English cathedral choir music should do in their life - and loved the sound, the reverence and the sheer wonderfully disciplined singing. The choir, under Stephen Cleobury, whose brother Nick was chorus master when I was singing at Glyndeboure Opera eons ago, were at their top notch best and sang some familiar pieces and anthems, as well as some I did not know.
Perhaps I have been deaf to some modern church music, but today they sang O Magnum Mysterium by Ola Gjeilo. I had not heard this wondrous piece with Cello obligato, and was transfixed by its beauty. The overall sound was full of tranquil simplicity, but I am certain that was a con - I imagine the choristers had to work very hard and with such discipline to achieve such a peaceful atmosphere.
Go to the link below and listen to the Kings Choir singing it and enjoy.
Kings College Cambridge in the snow, sheer English beauty.
Posted with Blogsy
No comments:
Post a Comment