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A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols | 
 enlarge | Artists: King's College Choir, Stephen Cleobury
Label: EMI Classics
Category: Music
List Price: $16.98
Buy New: $9.96
You Save: $7.02 (41%)
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Rating:  12 reviews
Sales Rank: 2795
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 2
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 73693
UPC: 724357369329
EAN: 0724357369329
ASIN: B00002CF12
Release Date: November 2, 1999
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| Tracks:
Disc 1
| • | Once In Royal David's City | | • | Bidding Prayer | | • | Up! Good Christen Folk, And Listen | | • | The Truth From Above | | • | First Lesson | | • | Adam Lay Yhounden | | • | Second Lesson | | • | Sussex Carol | | • | In The Bleak Mid-Winter | | • | Third Lesson | | • | In dulci jubilo | | • | God Rest You Merry Gentlemen | | • | Fourth Lesson | | • | A Tender Shoot | | • | The Lamb | | • | Fifth Lesson | | • | Gabriel's Message | | • | Joys Seven | | • | Sixth Lesson | | • | Dormi, Jesu | | • | Riu, riu, chiu |
Disc 2
| • | Seventh Lesson | | • | The Fary fax Carol | | • | While Shepards Watched | | • | Eighth Lesson | | • | I Saw Three Ships | | • | Illuminare Jerusalem | | • | Ninth Lesson | | • | Adeste, fideles | | • | Prayer And Blessing | | • | Hark! The Herald Angels Sing | | • | In dulci Jubilo |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
This disc could be more succinctly titled Christmas for Anglophiles. Few sounds are more British than the boy soprano-dominated Choir of King's College in Cambridge. And the group is heard--in some sections recorded live--in an actual Christmastide service amid the generous reverberation of a cathedral acoustic with little more than a tasteful though austere organ accompaniment. The repertoire isn't just conservative, traditional hymns and carols. One is harmonized by Ralph Vaughan Williams, and there are a number of contributions by contemporary composers Thomas Ades, Judith Weir, and John Tavener, all of which are probing, sincere, even personal examples of their art (and some are daringly liberated, harmonically speaking). The downside for some listeners--at least on repeated hearings--is that the entire service is heard, sermons and all. Others may take this in the spirit of a Paul McCreesh liturgical reconstruction, with congregational singing included. --David Patrick Stearns
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| Customer Reviews:
 Read all the description November 29, 2008
candideinnc (Spring Hope, NC United States)
0 out of 6 found this review helpful
I wish I had completed reading the review. I didn't take the term "lessons" literally, as I should. I find the read passages of scripture intrusive interruptions of otherwise lovely music.
 Traditional Christmas music in the Anglican style. January 16, 2008
Wesley Bassett
This is familiar, traditional Christmas music, very well-crafted and performed in the Anglican style of hymnody. One of the best ever Christmas albums.
A wonderful tradition January 18, 2007
J. Hancock
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
A great experience combining Christmas carols with the reading of Holy Scripture (the lessons). It's a beautiful Christmas worship service in the Anglican tradition. I highly recommend it.
In our age when thing change so fast, it's good to know that some great traditions continue. This recording is one of them.
a voice teacher and early music fan December 6, 2006
George Peabody (Carlisle,Pa. USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
A DIVINE DISC FOR THE DEVOUT!
Listening to this one and one-half hour recording is one way to experience the meaning of Christmas. It must be a joy for those who can attend such a service as the "Festival of nine-lessons and carols". To hear the beautiful voices of the King's College Choir and their marvelous organist, Benjamin Bayl. This is all under the direction of Stephen Cleobury, and provides a treat for music lovers everywhere.
The carols are related directly to the scripture readings that tell the Christmas Story in its entirety, all read skillfully by various people involved in the program. They are not lengthy, but quite to the point. The related carols are varied as to composer and mood, running the gamut from the traditional to the more recent such as : 'The Truth from above'(Vaughan Williams)-'Illuminare,Jerusalem' (Judith Weir)- and 'The Lamb' (John Tavener). The soloists include:Edward Moore (treble)-Thomas Bullard (baritone)-Adrian Kelly (tenor)-Edward Harries (treble)-and Julian Perkins (baritone). All sang well as did the entire choir.
The English sound, that is boy sopranos and male altos, appeal to me personally and show up very well in this particular group. It's all quite emotional and very moving, especially to those who celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. I've had this disc for several years, and would not think of celebrating Christmas without listening to it several times during the season.
Truely inspirational!!!! December 23, 2001
Doreen (CA)
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
A holiday classic. It has been a tradtion in our family for years. This is the first time I've seen it available on CD. I would highly recommend it to anyone.
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