rockershovel's Blog

All the while Tom Cruise is directing the latest Mission Impossible (except they're not are they, Nathan?)

 

Will be interesting to see how a film created with social distancing appears when complete, he's certainly in cars with his main co-star.

5 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

All the while Tom Cruise is directing the latest Mission Impossible (except they're not are they, Nathan?)

 

Will be interesting to see how a film created with social distancing appears when complete, he's certainly in cars with his main co-star.

Amazing what they can do with digital trickery

Another “BBC Moment” today..  “Britain’s 10 Favourite Carols” on in the background. Achingly “diverse” presenting team, a fairly predictable line-up and Sir Cliff Richard croaking and whispering through an embarrassing, elevator-music version of “Silent Night”.. the #1 choice by popular vote, so it was announced, was a carol I’ve certainly never heard of, far less heard before, nor the domestic tv authority on the sofa... and we both sang in our respective school choirs at Church schools, sporadically followed at least the forms of our baptised religion, these many years. But, it was sung by an Italian tenor in the original French, so it’s all good... 

7 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

Another “BBC Moment” today..  “Britain’s 10 Favourite Carols” on in the background. Achingly “diverse” presenting team, a fairly predictable line-up and Sir Cliff Richard croaking and whispering through an embarrassing, elevator-music version of “Silent Night”.. the #1 choice by popular vote, so it was announced, was a carol I’ve certainly never heard of, far less heard before, nor the domestic tv authority on the sofa... and we both sang in our respective school choirs at Church schools, sporadically followed at least the forms of our baptised religion, these many years. But, it was sung by an Italian tenor in the original French, so it’s all good... 

Which one of these had you never heard of:

The Top Ten List (not in order)

Carol

1  O Holy Night

2  Silent Night

3  In The Bleak Midwinter

4  Hark! The Herald-Angels Sing

5  O Come All Ye Faithful

6  O Little Town Of Bethlehem

7  Once In Royal David's City

8  Away In A Manger

9  Joy To The World

10 O Come, O Come Emmanuel

 

All these are very familiar Carols

It was “O Holy Night”. I think anybody could have predicted the other nine, if not necessarily the order, although I was surprised that “All Things Bright And Beautiful” didn’t get a mention, considering that I can’t remember the last carol service I attended that didn’t include it. 

 

Was Sir Cliff awful, though? 

39 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

It was “O Holy Night”. I think anybody could have predicted the other nine, if not necessarily the order, although I was surprised that “All Things Bright And Beautiful” didn’t get a mention, considering that I can’t remember the last carol service I attended that didn’t include it. 

 

Was Sir Cliff awful, though? 

Really? Is that actually a (Christmas) Carol?

IMHO Cliff's been awful for years, OK when he was younger.

N.B. I didn't see it, not my type of programme.

9 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Really? Is that actually a (Christmas) Carol?

IMHO Cliff's been awful for years, OK when he was younger.

N.B. I didn't see it, not my type of programme.

 

My wife says not. However it does have the great bonus of being almost universally known, and easy for smaller children to sing. 

 

My daughter refers to Cliff as “Tutankhamen” 

Edited December 20, 2020 by rockershovel

BTW

O Holy Night has been voted Britain's favourite Carol on Classic FM for the last 4 years and will probably be top of their list again this year.

Unlike Songs of Praise, they don't have a list, people just send in a vote for whatever they want.

I've heard it many times on the radio this year so far, so I'm somewhat flabbergasted you have never heard of it.

 

N.B. I have never been a chorister or have any direct interest in Carols or Religion, but I listen to music a lot and have a reasonable collection from modern stuff right back to Hildegard von Bingen, with everything in between.

 

55 minutes ago, rockershovel said:

 

My daughter refers to Cliff as “Tutankhamen” 

I think Cliff's older....

 

I think you’ve answered the question. O Holy Night appears to have been covered by everyone from Mariah Carey to Martina McBride, and be a favourite with gospel singers ( the third verse appears to be related to the Battle Hymn of The Republic, with its abolitionist sentiments) .... and be much played on Classic FM, so no doubt a regular Classic FM listener would know it. 

 

Where it doesn’t appear, is in Carols for Choirs or the various preceding hymnals used by Anglican and Nonconformist choirs or congregations back to Wesley in the 1700s. Nor is it based on a traditional, or pre-existing score... which is why it doesn’t feature in the English choral or Anglican tradition or repertoire.