Of all the carols, my favorite. It is hard to believe that this is Holst at work; how unlike his customary musical idiom. I cannot hear this without tears coming unbidden, and I always think that I too would wish to make this gift. Larry
Nice to hear the lovely Holst setting, rather than the dull and droning, but chorally-showy Harold Darke setting, kept on life support by its annual trotting-out at the King’s Nine Lessons service (a partisan thing – Darke was King’s acting music director during WWII).
Of all the carols, my favorite. It is hard to believe that this is Holst at work; how unlike his customary musical idiom. I cannot hear this without tears coming unbidden, and I always think that I too would wish to make this gift. Larry
Nice to hear the lovely Holst setting, rather than the dull and droning, but chorally-showy Harold Darke setting, kept on life support by its annual trotting-out at the King’s Nine Lessons service (a partisan thing – Darke was King’s acting music director during WWII).
Holst has some amazing choral work like his rendering of the Nunc Dimittis. There is a version by the Choir of Exeter Cathedral here
Was not familiar with this setting. Thanks PM.