Joys Seven

[mdbmdbmvc]

The negative comments are fascinating, I take it they are made by people who have better choirs themselves and hold better posts and who have made a greater impact on the world of choral music than Stephen Cleobury.

[Delphicapollo]

This video has been restricted so it cannot be viewed on phones or tablets. This is pointless: An iPhone has the same playback as an iPod! Stop these useless restrictions!

[Dan1124444]

this is crap compared to the 2009 version sorry

[mynamesnotemma]

This is lovely, it sounds wonderful :)

[xLaurennx1]

@mynamesnotemma i agree :)

[engelbertschoormans]

This child up 0:40 is cute.... ;-)))))

[josparkes1]

Beautiful, absolutely love this hymn / carol. Our Lady would love this I am sure, love it to bits !

Brilliantly sung, well done !

[timothyj1966]

this is such a nice arrangement... love the parts... the chords... the organ rifts are so "delightful" ...not a word I would use as a grown man...but that is the only word that comes to mind hearing this....beautiful....

[pipergj33]

I love this setting. The 6th verse is such lovely music.

[Toelzerfanclever]

All over the world there are very good boys´choirs....:)

[phlarrdboi]

cute kids

[goofy6622]

Brilliant!

[firstsopranosrule]

My favourite arrangement of this carol, it's superb!

[znq119]

Sorry.

I want to find a Video,I saw it about 3 years ago.

I remember it named "boy choir at Christmas"

it's about a boychoir practise singing"once in royal david's city"

a boy named Tom was chosen to sing at Christmas,I still remenber the leader told another 9 year old boy that"Tom have waited for the chance for 3 years"

but now I can not find it,I want to see it very much ! help me please!

[RectorChori1]

@znq119 Hello. I vaguely remember seeing a documentary with this very situation captured. Canterbury Cathedral comes to mind... the documentary followed the Cathedral as it prepared for Christmas and featured the choir - with competition for a solo part the being ultimate Christmas present for one of the boys "Once in Royal...". One of the boys took ill during CP... if this is the one, I'll carry on search. Hope this helps. Rector.

[seasofpoppies]

Though King's aren't a patch on St John's (and haven't been since Philip Ledger left), the negative comments below are not only ludicrous but ungracious.

[jibberjabber]

Totally agreed. On a side note, Cleobury needs to leave. Fast.

[wftjet]

Why does Cleobury need to leave? I know he's been there a long time but King's is the kind of place that keeps its organists for a long time. Boris Ord was director there for 37 years! Some of their past directors were there for 50 years or more!  They've only had 15 directors of music since 1605!

[68bobsport]

So beautiful. A classic of the English carol repertoire. The boy soloist is PERFECT. The tempo is right on, and the phrasing is so supportive of the text.

[choirboy526]

PERFECT??? his is offkey and the tempo is too fast

[68bobsport]

Sometimes a little imperfection makes a performance more human, more touching, more sincere. Any choir director in the world would be thrilled to work with a boy soprano like this.

[rosamund123]

lovely little tune! I've never heard this before, it's every so pretty. I have to agree about the first soloist though - flat. bad choice!

[MassimoofItalia]

terrible treble soloist in the beginning.... I think this was a bad year for King's College... they all sound sick

[cantorisdecani]

Can't say I agree at all - on either count...!

[engelbertschoormans]

@cantorisdecani Yes!

[choirhampster]

Could this have been a music test for the lad singing solo? Moving up to the next level? I'm not sure how it works at Kings College since they do not wear medallions/ribbons to show their level. Is there some sort of stages/levels they pass through?

[jonie588]

ohhh soo cute....i love this

[jennywren413]

The little boy at 0:37 is so adorable! he looks like he's half-asleep, the poor guy...

Brilliant rendition of this song, the best I've ever heard- it's upbeat without being choppy.

[PennTrafford]

Yes, I agree -- he looks very tired. Poor little tyke!

[Emsisa]

haha. i know him. :P

[picardythirds]

I quite like their tone.  thanks for posting.

[upul67]

awsome

[mambong]

my fav carol!!!!!! enjoyable!

[wineforwool]

Thank you kindly for placing this song, and indeed all the others. Christmas is not Christmas without such beautiful songs and stories. It enables one to truly live the festive season. I dream to one day attend the Carol service at King's College! A Happy and Holy Christmas to one and all!!

[wimbourne2007]

It would have been around a golden era of King's when they had soloists such as Michael Pearce, Ashley Grote, Magnus, Rupert and Guy Johnston (3 brothers) and Thomas Rose to name just a few. There was a documentary filmed and released on VHS with a 9 Lessons and Carol Service but I lost my copy and I've never been able to find another. If anyone has one or knows where I might get one please post here! (It's not the 'Boast of Kings' one though). Thanks.

[FobBossil]

If you write to either King's College Choir School, Cambs, or to the office of Stephen Cleobury at the college itself, they might be able to give you a copy, or point you in the right direction!

[paulbrd]

@wimbourne2007 It is still available on UK Amazon. It was indeed a golden era. I think this excerpt from the service is 1995.

[smplgurl]

This is lovely!

[BrandenburgConcerti]

thank you for this post!

[edders05]

Thanks for posting there! Do you know what year this is? I don't recognize any of the boys.

[cantorisdecani]

It would be about 1993 (+/-1)

Most of the stuff I've posted of them so far is from the same time. I've a few tapes from subsequent years but currently don't have the means to capture them. :(

[FobBossil]

Christmas 1994 I believe, or poss 1995. Certainly not 1996 onwards (I was at school there, in the same year as the eldeest-looking of the choristers).

[AML2000]

Most of the choristers appear on the DVD of the St.Matthews Passion that this choir recorded, so it must have been around that time, perhaps a little later as the boys look a little older.

[merseymoo]

Thanks for posting this!