Westminster Cathedral Choir - A Ceremony of Carols

[rickker20]

Westminters Abby was build by King Henry VII for the Catholic Church and the Pope and it was stolen by King Henry VIII for the Protestants.

[foodie65]

@rickker20 It wasn't built for the RC church and certainly not for the Pope.  It was built by the English Church - which had its own liturgy - and paid for English Kings. And Anglicans are not Protestants - they are Reformed Catholics.

Tomorrow Westminster Cathedral choir will sing at St Paul's cathedral and next week St Paul's will sing in the Abbey, and the choirs of the Cathedral and the Abbey often come together for special events. There is no inter-faith rivalry.

[wouter064]

@foodie65 Westminster Cathedral Choir is not the choir of Westminster Abbey but is the choir of Westminster Cathedral!

[foodie65]

@wouter064 I know that! I go to Westminster Cathedral all the time. I was replying to a someone else who was talking about Westminster Abbey!

[wouter064]

Westminster Cathedral has one of the best cathedral choirs of the world!

[foodie65]

@wouter064 It is a wonderful choir and definately one of the best in the world. Shamefully Westminster is now the ONLY Roman Catholic Cathedral in the world that has choral daily services.

[liz021000]

the start 'hodie' is the antiphon for magnificat second vespers natitivity day

[bartje11]

Amazing how some people can't just enjoy this beautiful music and relax. Instead they need to cast stones, crucify and kick dust.

[Tetrafonia]

@bartje11

...because they are already trampled my friend!...

Mary Christmas to "treblechoir99"  and You !!!...

:-)))

[kamilla1960]

"Westminster" is confusing. Many people immediately think of Westminster Abbey. Westminster CATHEDRAL on the other hand, is the central Roman Catholic Church in England.

[luciblue]

Um, you totally forgot to include there is no rose. Which is like, the best section out of all of them.

[monjiou1]

Religious zezlots, all of them, will surely kill religion in the long run. Death by polarization you might call it.

[MrChristopherkent]

this is perhaps the most cut and dried interpretation of Britten's Ceremony of Carols i have ever heard. I give full marks to the soloist, but cannot forgive the choral director for making this rendition so sterile., so lacking in nuance. Bad show.

[henthree]

and "catch them" at what? -sodomy or protestantism?

[dsindc]

@henthree Oh I see !!!! You're Irish !! Are you a Magdelene Sister?? Lovely bunch of women they were now weren't they now henthree sweetie. And how much as the Irish r.c. church paid out in damages for its sexual perversions ?? Something tells me you are a self loathing homosexual. Just come out and get it over with. But if you can't, please cut the delusions.

[henthree]

Yes "Eurofrank" I am a "Roman Catholic bigot" and I read biographies, and are you not a very silly person who doesn't know the meaning of the word "irony"?

[dsindc]

@henthree How strange henthree to read your comments. I live in Washington D.C. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese has paid out something like 100 million dollars for the R.C. priests sexually molesting children. If that's not bad enough, all over America (and indeed the world, the hierarchy of the RC church ( it really does deserve a lower case c) has been complicit. And yet you have the audacity of casting stones. 'Sodomites'. LOL. As if this is a "protestant" thing. Are you autistic? Retarded?

[henthree]

Beautiful piece marred, alas, by the fact that Britten and Pears were sodomites and, worse still, protestants.

[Eurofrank1]

@henthree How can you possibly know this....did you actually catch them at it? Are you not a Roman Catholic bigot?

[acbulgin2]

@henthree Do you really mean this? And if so, please explain to me how this work of art is "marred" by the alleged fact that Britten and Pears were sodomites and Protestants. Do you really think that ad hominem attacks upon artists lessen their artistic achievements? You call this carol a beautiful piece, then you say it is marred. I submit that the ugliness you perceive exists solely in your mind.

[MsWentworth1]

@henthree I think you have forgotten the Christ part of Christian. 

[maestrovoci]

The squared yokes of the surplices indicates a Roman Catholic choir; the Anglican choirs have rounded yokes (necklines).

[Kruziboyfriend]

Every year again i hear this work of Britten. Its a pity this will performed so rarely.

[McGrenzer]

I am gratefully collecting Christmas presents from Youtube strangers this year, and today I found yours, treblechoir. Heavenly music and wonderfully complete notes--certainly not your usual casual posting. Hope you are well and still reading comments after two years, so I can wish you Merry Christmas!

[treblechoir99]

@McGrenzer I wish you a Merry Christmas.

[rwlindsay]

Thank you for the fabulous backround information; I sang this years ago in high school and have always looked forward to playing it at Christmas time. I never imagined that Britten dreamed this up while on a ship.

[VAMPTASTICALISTIC]

im singing this song in choir!! it sounds so pretty!!!

[FlameMistress08]

My college is singing this for our Christmas/Holiday concert, alllll of them. :] I'm auditioning for the Bululalow soprano solo, and I'm hoping that I can get it. =/ So beautifullll!

[micvpreaching]

@hiroshi2020 Exactly! ^ ^ Thanks!

[ImJustThisGirl]

lovethis:)

[Pandadot1]

Absolutly beautiful!

[holapeople24]

pretty good ' O '

[wftjet]

Great recording. I know Britten wrote his Missa Brevis for this particular choir (and that piece is also for 3-part treble voices). I suspect he had this choir's sound in mind as well for the Ceremony of Carols.

[deniska9313]

I love these songs, Britten is great... We were sing that in our choir.. I like Procession, Ballulalow, This little Babe and Deo Gracias...

[JamarBush]

If there is anyone out there from the St.Marys or National Boychoir of America.... i would like the chance to perhaps talk about some of the years singing with Brahmachari.

[micvpreaching]

Westminster is protestant Church?

[treblechoir99]

@micvpreaching Catholic

[hiroshi2020]

@micvpreaching You are thinking of Westminster Abbey

[pdxtran]

@micvpreaching

Westminster ABBEY is Church of England. Westminster CATHEDRAL is Roman Catholic.

[cheerydeery]

@micvpreaching This is a reformation text, Anglican... Old English and Latin,

Spanglish???

Gorgeous!

[FoxyStealth]

@micvpreaching @treblechoir99 Anglican to be exact.

[treblechoir99]

@FoxyStealth You talk for the Cathedrals? Westminster Abbey, in London is Anglican still the Reform. Westminster Cathedral, in London, Roman Catholic.

[FoxyStealth]

@treblechoir99 So there are 2 Westminsters in London? I get so much education from this youtube.

[MsWentworth1]

@FoxyStealth No Westminster Abbey is Anglican, Westminster Cathedral is Roman Catholic. The Abbey used to be Catholic until Henry VIII

[Reformer64]

@micvpreaching Westminster Cathedral in London is the mother church of the Catholic community in England and Wales but Westminster Abbey, is the Church of England. Anglican

[braydonthecooldude11]

wat is this i dont even...

[groovefisch]

Schön! Danke

[DroneRoq]

I love it. I have sung it with my choir. It's a lovely song

[assistanttoiris]

You know, it's quite interesting.....I have heard the Georgia Boy Choir (they're quite good), but their vowels and general tone quality is a little different.....maybe I'm overanalyzing, but.....Anyways, great job - I can always appreciate good treble music (though it has been a few years since I last sang soprano).

[21Hortus]

Westminster Chathedral choir is an amazing choir. Bravissimi

[muscleboi4use]

My old choir! 1980-84.

[faedeaton]

beautiful. the salem college choral ensemble [i was a member 49-53] sang this. lovely memories. we had a harp student play the accompaniment. lucy harper.

[Sydenham519]

A lovely find on Christmas morning - many thanks and Merry Christmas :)

[treblechoir99]

Merry Christmas

[anukula]

thank you for posting this - long time ago we did some concerts in Germany with the 'ceremony of carols' - and hearing this reminds me on that wonderful time.

[queenastilon]

Ohhhhhhh nostalgia!

We did this at school, a girls' school (ok, ok, don't start!) well just Balulalow from this and a few other unusual numbers... but I always found Balulalow so haunting, such a beautiful melody and the alternation from major to minor and back again... Lovely.

Thanks for putting this up

[treblechoir99]

And I'm sure It's rewarding for you.

[Eurofrank1]

promise not to "start", but it´s not easy!!!!

[queenastilon]

Eurofrank1, do you want me to respond to that or shall I just glare?

[Eurofrank1]

I think I prefer the glare, if that´s OK with you ;)

[queenastilon]

Yes, Eurofrank, that's perfectly ok.

~glares~

[Eurofrank1]

Well, qeenastilon, if that´s the best glare you can do, I clearly made the right choice!

[queenastilon]

~ goes off to mutter in a corner ~

[SzaszKrista]

@queenastilon  Ditto....and it still love the work. Wish I could sing like I used to!

[Chrisy299]

Thaaaaanks for posting this work.Every time i hear this i feel the christmas :)

So simple and nice!

[treblechoir99]

Westminster Cathedral Choir(London), New College(Oxford) and Christ Church Cathedral Choir also Oxford are all my favourites in England.

[eeClaytonification]

britten was an atheist

[treblechoir99]

But he llike the Trebles lol

[Bobfis341]

A translation:

Today Christ was born. Today the saviour appeared. Today angels appeared on earth. Archangels rejoiced. Today the just rejoice saying, "Glory to GOD in the Highest! Hallelujah!"

[TheAnneelise]

precious boys! May God bless them. I think He already has by allowing them to take part in this lovely music.

[tillysmum]

Thank you for posting this. I know one of little boys on the front row. Thanks a million !

[hiroshi2020]

This is just Beautiful, Both enchanting ..... and joyous! Thank you for posting!!

[marshfiddler]

A joy to hear!

[LadiLira]

i sung this a woman's festival last year... it was beautiful but the sad thing was the harpist was so emotionaless... very stale performance on her part...

[gondolacrescent5]

My eldest children, when very young were lulled to sleep every night over a few years by Brittens Ceremony of carols played softly on a CD. I believe it had a profoundly good influence on their lives. I especially like the text and music of "this little babe so few days old has come to rifle satans fold" . It imparts in both mediums a sense of urgency involving a saviour entering a cold dark world for our sake..

[TheAnneelise]

Amen! Lovely and profound!

[choirboy526]

What Gregorian hymn is sung for the procession?

[Wally773MTG]

Hodie Christus natus est, its traditionally sung for christmas day vespers but in my church choir back home we use it throughout the christmass season.

[JenseninBrizo]

Listening to this again. The tune...lalalala:)

[JenseninBrizo]

But 3.23 picture isn't very appropritate, very well anyway.

[Chrisy299]

Yes the ceremony of carols are beautiful and rare to hear.

I remember, i had a very nice kreuzchor version of it and lost :-(

[hlrcy]

Beautiful! Merci! Brings back wonderful memories singing the Ceremony in high school. I've suggested "This Little Babe" to my current adult (gospel) choir director for next year. It would provide some real challenge and great diversity in style. Do you know of any gospel choirs or African American choirs who have successfully undertaken it? A blessed Christmas!

[pjdonagh]

I heard a real out of season performance in July 198? in the chapel with St John's choir...I still get goose bumps when I think of it.....this recording is however quite wonderful. Westminster Cathedral in their own quiet way continue to soar into the realms of perfection......thank you for this!!

[treblechoir99]

Thank you for your pertinent comment.

[Ikje86]

I hear the st. Pauls Cathedral Choristers this singing not so long ago, it was amazing! I will miss them!

[treblechoir99]

Oh singing with St Paul Cathedral It's great too. merry Christmas.

[WolfyVidz]

Dommage que les infos ne soit qu'en anglais... sinon à part ça la musique se prète bien au jeu de la mélancolie et des fêtes qui approche...

[loupblanc26]

Magnifique et que d'informations!

Merci Trebloir et joyeux Noël

[treblechoir99]

Joyeux Noël Loupblanc26

[benoitmaur]

merci beaucoup pour tout ce que tu fais.

splendide, bon et saint temps de Noël

`

ton ami.

[treblechoir99]

Merci à toi Phil. Et que l'Enfant Dieu te protège. Joyeux Noël

[titussenlair]

Pour de multiples raisons Benjamin Britten a su comprendre et pénétrer dans le monde de l'enfance ( ou retrouver et garder la sienne) et l'exprimer par la musique. Toute son oeuvre est empreinte de vérité, de spontaneité et de fraîcheur. A ceremony of Carol bien sûr y trouve toute sa place pour fêter Noël. Remerciements à Denis de nous rapeller

[KoksderDrache]

Na ja, Britten ist schon sehr speziell, vielleicht ein bißchen zu viel experimentiert?

[Eurofrank1]

@KoksderDrache: nee gar nicht; der wirkt im Vergleich zu Stockhausen und Co eher harmlos!

[KoksderDrache]

@Eurofrank1: Großbritannien und Irland? Eih? Dann doch eher "Cocos-Inseln", wahlweise auch "Heard- und Mc Donald Inseln" oder "Südgeorgien- und südliche Sandwichinseln" oder anderes nettes mehr xD. Im übrigen gebe ich dir recht, Stockhausen ist echt abgefahren.

[Eurofrank1]

@KoksderDrache: Na also! Durch diese dumme Bemerkung hast du deine Herkunft verraten! So ein rassistischer Tiefschlag kann nur aus dem braunen Sumpf der deutschen Hartz-IV-Unterschicht kommen - ich tippe auf die Ost-Zone. Heil!

[KoksderDrache]

Du Depp! Du solltest nicht von dir auf andere schließen! Im Übrigen wollte ich dich bei der Länderwahl lediglich zu mehr Phantasie anregen. So eine Spaßbremse aber auch!!! Des weiteren liebe ich Deutschland und habe es keinesfalls nötig meine Identität im angelsächsichen Bereich zu verstecken.

[Mischafour]

I enjoyed the information about Britten and the Ceremony of Carols, and of course it's a pleasure to hear the Westminister Choir. Thanks for posting this one and Happy Christmas to all!

[treblechoir99]

Mery Christmas Mischafour