{"id":1902,"date":"2015-12-23T14:16:00","date_gmt":"2015-12-23T13:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ounews.co\/?p=1902"},"modified":"2015-12-23T14:16:00","modified_gmt":"2015-12-23T13:16:00","slug":"the-choirmaster-whose-carols-became-the-sound-of-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/arts-social-sciences\/art-literature-music\/the-choirmaster-whose-carols-became-the-sound-of-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"The choirmaster whose carols became the sound of Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>At 3pm on Christmas Eve, millions of radios around the world will be tuned to the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King\u2019s College Chapel in Cambridge in time to hear the pure voice of a single boy chorister singing one of the hardest solos of the church calendar, the first verse of \u201cOnce in Royal David\u2019s City\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>For many, this signals the start of Christmas. Broadcasts of the Christmas Eve service from King\u2019s began in 1928, but arguably it was under the guidance of Sir David Willcocks, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kings.cam.ac.uk\/news\/2015\/david-willcocks.html\">who died in September 2015, aged 95<\/a>, that the service \u2013 and the choir \u2013 became household names.<\/p>\n<figure><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/NMGMV-fujUY?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0\" width=\"440\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/figure>\n<p><span class=\"caption\">Once in Royal David\u2019s City.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/obituaries\/11872141\/Sir-David-Willcocks-choirmaster-obituary.html\">many tributes<\/a> that followed Willcocks\u2019 death all acknowledged that during his tenure from 1957 to 1973, his name became <a href=\"http:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/music\/classical-music\/sir-david-willcocks-appreciation\/\">virtually synonymous<\/a> with the idea of a traditional Christmas Carol service. The Nine Lessons and Carols form became popular in churches and chapels of all sizes and traditions, and is still widely used today.<\/p>\n<p>The King\u2019s model and the influence of the Carols for Choirs series \u2013 a series of books edited by Willcocks, first with Reginald Jacques and later John Rutter \u2013 have together had a huge effect on the way in which millions of people think about Christmas music.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-left \"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com\/files\/106092\/width237\/image-20151215-23193-lw9u76.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<p><span class=\"caption\">David Willcocks edited a series of carol books which have become standards.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The link between Willcocks\u2019 association with King\u2019s and his work as composer, arranger and editor for the Carols for Choirs series is significant. For church musicians, using the familiar green and orange volumes creates a connection between their own efforts \u2013 no matter how modest the scale \u2013 and the internationally famous broadcast.<\/p>\n<p>Rather than the perfect singing and sublime organ playing seeming impossibly remote, access to the books \u2013 which contain many of the same pieces and arrangements \u2013 transforms the broadcast into an inspirational experience.<\/p>\n<h2>The art of arrangement<\/h2>\n<p>Willcocks\u2019 skillful writing for voices and organ is vital in making the connection. Many of his obituaries comment on his ability to inspire the amateur choirs that he conducted. His carol arrangements display the same qualities: demanding, certainly, but achievable thanks to his intimate knowledge of vocal technique and keyboard writing.<\/p>\n<figure><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/T5rMQ6P12WY?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0\" width=\"440\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/figure>\n<p>His arrangement of \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/watch?v=kRq8eywc57I\">O Come, All Ye Faithful<\/a>\u201d, probably his most famous, is an excellent example. The setting of the sixth verse responds to the invitation of the words: \u201cSing, choirs of angels\u2026\u201d with an exuberant descant and rich-textured organ accompaniment. The swirling sequence in the descant on the word \u201cGlory\u201d, borrowed from \u201cDing Dong, Merrily On High,\u201d achieves a thrilling vocal sound.<\/p>\n<p>The opening of the organ part, calling for the melody to be played on the mighty tuba stop, adds a sense of grandeur, even when played on a small church organ. Later, the sustained rumble of the organ under the words: \u201cO come, let us adore him\u201d, builds anticipation ahead of the verse\u2019s final words: \u201cChrist the Lord\u201d. This verse is rewarding for the congregation, too, for although they continue to sing the same melody as in previous verses, its role is transformed. It becomes part of a vital part of a complex texture, anchoring the whole to the original carol.<\/p>\n<figure><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/bRSMKzCZQjM?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0\" width=\"440\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/figure>\n<p><span class=\"caption\">Ding Dong Merrily on High (Willcocks)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Willcocks\u2019 approach in the final verse: \u201cYea, Lord, we greet thee\u201d, traditionally reserved until Christmas Day, is very different. Most strikingly, all voices sing the melody together. All of the drama and excitement is packed into the organ part. The bold opening unison accompaniment stresses the unity of everyone participating.<\/p>\n<p>The climax arrives on \u201cWord\u201d, with a daringly dissonant chord providing the perfect musical accompaniment to the textual reference to the divine mystery described in the <a href=\"http:\/\/biblescripture.net\/Prologue.html\">Prologue to St John\u2019s Gospel<\/a>. For the congregation, singing this note harmonised in such a way is a radically different experience from the earlier verses. Its effect is exhilarating, and is made all the more so because it is shared by every singer, not just the highly skilled choristers.<\/p>\n<h2>Willcocks&#8217; legacy<\/h2>\n<p>The writing of these arrangements is but one example of Willcocks\u2019 musical genius. Others have rightly praised his landmark recordings of works such as Faur\u00e9\u2019s Requiem, his contributions as conductor of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thebachchoir.org.uk\/news\/sir-david-willcocks-1919-2015\/\">Bach Choir<\/a> and director of the Royal College of Music \u2013 and his devotion to the highest musical standards on a daily basis at King\u2019s. However, for most who knew his name, it is his contribution to Christmas music that stands out.<\/p>\n<figure><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/eLqE3Omuw9A?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0\" width=\"440\" height=\"260\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/figure>\n<p>For countless choristers, his descants, learned as children, are etched into their musical memory. For congregation members, including those who perhaps only attend church once a year, they create a sense of participation in the wonder and mystery of Christmas. For the worldwide radio and television audiences, they play a crucial role in the association of King\u2019s with a traditional Christmas experience.<\/p>\n<p>The popularity and durability of the arrangements, many of which have been in print for more than 50 years, has already been established. This first Christmas holiday after David Willcocks\u2019 death offers a fitting opportunity to acknowledge his supreme musical skill and to invite choristers, organists and congregations to appreciate his work afresh.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.edu.au\/content\/51921\/count.gif\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Written by\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/martin-clarke-148439\">Martin Clarke<\/a>, Lecturer in Music, <em><a href=\"http:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/the-open-university\">The Open University<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>This article was originally published on <a href=\"http:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a>. Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/the-choirmaster-whose-carols-became-the-sound-of-christmas-51921\">original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><small>Photo by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/62558594@N00\/3087957798\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">chrisjohnbeckett<\/a> <a title=\"Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License\" href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ounews.co\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-inject\/images\/cc.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At 3pm on Christmas Eve, millions of radios around the world will be tuned to the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King\u2019s College Chapel in Cambridge in time to hear the pure voice of a single boy chorister singing one of the hardest solos of the church calendar, the first verse of \u201cOnce [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":1911,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[165,449,857,1381,1490],"class_list":["post-1902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-literature-music","tag-arts","tag-christmas","tag-faculty-of-arts","tag-martin-clarke","tag-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1902","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1902"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1902\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1911"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}