Kings College Choir, Cambridge - In the bleak midwinter Darke Carols from King 1997

[mrsspanner14]

Carols from Kings is the start of Christmas for me...the true spirit of Christmas and a little oasis of calm. I used to sing the alto part of this and it's my favourite carol. Merry Christmas all.

[mtenor]

the tenor is so tense and tight.what a pity

[PatriceFitz]

@mtenor I didn't hear/see him as tense and tight. I thought he sounded beautiful and was simply shaping the notes carefully. This is a lovely rendition.

As to the Holst vs. Darke... why choose?

[mtenor]

@PatriceFitz good! glad you didnt notice that then :-)

[mtenor]

@PatriceFitz good! glad you didnt notice that then :-)

[Chartac]

I grew up on the Holst version but in later years the Darke is the version that moves me now.

[Jigen7490]

ok which silly person thumbed down? Its a beautiful piece and if you dont like it, is there a point to thumbing down just dont listen. A joy to listen to as always

[princesskc9]

I love this song, the Darke version is THE best

[ursie1986]

I am so sick of English people in my generation (18-30 year olds) talking about the Coca-Cola advert depicting a juggernaut with fairy lights rolling through a North American village, and defining an English Christmas by it. Kings will always be true Christmas to me, especially the evening service on Dec 24th :) xx

[Willicos]

Very Solemn and soothing. King's College Choir have been my favorite since childhood in the 1950's. The rendition of of "In the bleak mid winter" is truly my taste. The organist and the choir is great. Stephen Cleobury the choir master and conductor is just marvelous

[Willicos]

Very Solemn and soothing. King's College Choir have been my favorite since childhood in the 1950's. The rendition of of "In the bleak me winter" is truly my taste.

[xyldinnc]

I sang the Holst version in high school 50 years ago this month. I have to say, hearing the Drake version more often this year I regret our director didn't choose Drake instead. I haven't been able to get it out of my head. The comment that Holst's is not "effective" is understatement at best. It's dreary and I remember feeling dreary singing it.. The haunting beauty of Drake is proof to me that athough I never knew him, he had a better pulse on the intent of the Rosetti.

[Eurofrank1]

@xyldinnc DARKE is the name. The other guy used to rob the Spanish of their gold!

[timothyj1966]

@xyldinnc 

[timothyj1966]

@xyldinnc agreed! the tune is hauntingly beautiful...I love the counterpart the organ line pivots against the solo verse... of all the music I listen to....from hippo, black gospel, to Chopin,Bach and Handel...this tune always comes top of my head - whenever I sit down to a freshly tuned piano!

[sechszigplus]

erstklassige stimmen

[agent885]

Darke arranged the carol; the composer is Gustav Holst.

[keg646]

@agent885 That is not true. The Hoslt setting of this text is an entirely different composition. This version uses nothing form Holst.

[agent885]

@keg646 Just looked it up and you're right. The two settings are very similar (similar tune, rhythm, arching phrases) and I assumed Holst's "Cranham" was the original with the Darke being an arrangement of it.

[georgebur]

Enough of this confusion. This setting of the Rosetti is now the definitive one I would say. No doubt Harold Darke knew the Holst setting, but he produced something different.

With identical text, of course you get some coincidence of rhythm, because of how the metre maps to the music!

To me the Holst setting is altogether more dreary. And the Darke harmony really sends the shivers up the spine - it is so Christmassy somehow!

[georgebur]

Just listened to the Holst and now see it more clearly. The rhythms are almost the same. However do note that that HARMONIES are not the same.

However, as I said before, the Holst setting is not as effective in finding contrast and climax. I think that most effective Christmas music has a spirit of optimism that Holst lacks. I would point out however that Holst was a fantastic composer with many better examples than his setting of this Rosetti

[KeepDeltaMyDelta]

@georgebur You remark that the harmonies aren't the same, but neither is the melodic line. And of course the rhythm is the same (or similar)...it's the same text so the meter will correspond out of necessity.

[georgebur]

@KeepDeltaMyDelta I don't think that the rhythms need to map this closely just because the text (and metre) are the same. The dotted notes seem to coincide!

[KeepDeltaMyDelta]

@georgebur Ah, I see now what you were saying. You're right, that's always my impression when I hear the first phrase of both tunes (at least as far as "In the bleak midwinter..."), that they sound like the same rhythmic line with different notes tacked on. My mistake for misunderstanding before.

[timothyj1966]

@georgebur Agreed!



[job87meh]

Once got the extreme privilege of singing the first verse as a solo. Doubt my voice can still go that high (even though I'm a girl). Such a joy to sing. Thanks for posting, brought back great memories.

[jrdallasjr]

As many dozens of times I have heard this sung by some of the greatest choirs, I still find myself transported to a higher and higher place. This was no exception. I felt I was in the chapel.

[choicelady]

Beautiful!

[envioustime]

Darke's is my favourite version of this - stunning performance

[Raichu234]

beautiful 

[2010capecod]

Always brings a tear

[RightSideisLeft]

sweet moses...

[timothyj1966]

absolute Peace... you could hear the snow falling kind of music..... drifting down from heaven, on angel voices..... heaven on Earth

[3NUNS]

tewiffic

[Bluebottle83]

perfection!

[rhythmax]

who is the arranger of this version?

[eztobeme]

Harold Darke, who was once director of music at King's College, Cambridge.

[choirboy526]

Harold Darke

[Teodor1000]

The composer Harold Darke himself.

[nodlon20]

Beautiful!!

[Eurofrank1]

Christmas starts here!

[PatternedMistress]

Perfection!