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

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

My favourites:

O Little Town of Bethlehem ( my mum's favourite too; perceptively, she suggests it makes one think of one's hometown)
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear ( so pretty)
Unto Us Is Born A Son (for the verse about Herod)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

"All the little boys he slew
in Bethlem in his fury"

Yeah, good stuff.

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I must have done a slightly different version:

This did Herod sore affray
And grievously bewilder
So he gave the word to slay
And slew the little childer, and slew the little childer

*organ goes all minor and thundery*

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Your version is better than mine.

Childer is a brilliant word.

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

I like the way yours specifies boys, though! (Does it also rhyme 'fury' with 'Jewry'?)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It does. It's a clever rhyme. Almost up to Cole Porter's standard.