Carols

[poliphilo]

According to the BBC- which was broadcasting a concert of the nations top ten carols from The Albert Hall- the nation's number one favourite is "O Holy Night". What! Where on earth did that come from? It wasn't anybody's favourite when I was a vicar. Ailz and my mother said they'd never even heard of it.

Michael Ball sang it . He turned it into musical theatre. Mostly it sounded like Lloyd Webber but with a twiddly bit in the middle that was pure Arthur Sullivan.

I don't hate it, but it's too syrupy for my taste.

My favourite carols (in no particular order)

The Coventry Carol
Adam Lay Ybounden
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear (which really is Arthur Sullivan)
The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came (aka Most Highly Flavoured Lady)
Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day
I Saw Three Ships
The Holly and the Ivy

My least favourite carol- because it's interminable- is While Shepherds Watched.

Comments

[veronica-milvus.livejournal.com]

I love "see, amid the winter snow" and "It Came Upon The Midnight Clear" because they are the only ones I know that are under-used.

I don't know "O Holy Night" either, in my lapsed Anglican error.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

On of the great things about Midnight Clear is it doesn't mention Jesus by name- not once!