Truro Cathedral Choir, Christopher Gray - The Story of Nine Lessons and Carols
STYLE: Choral RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 163119- LABEL: Regent REGDVD004 FORMAT: DVD Album ITEMS: 2 EXTRAS: CD
Reviewed by Steven Whitehead
This is a veritable Christmas box of delights containing a DVD lasting over an hour with a documentary about the history of the service in Truro, presented by Jeremy Summerly, interviews with three former Directors of Music at Truro (David Briggs, Andrew Nethsingha, and Robert Sharpe), and a full DVD Video recording of the Nine Lessons service as it took place on 23rd December 2014 in Truro Cathedral. From the documentary we learn that Truro was the first Anglican cathedral built in England (all previous ones being Roman Catholic buildings that had been nationalized by Henry VIII) and how its first bishop, Edward White Benson, devised the first "Festal Service for Christmas Eve" that he later took with him to Canterbury and that became world famous due to the annual broadcast from King's College, Cambridge on Christmas Eve. There is an audio-only CD recording of the reconstruction of the first 1880 service that runs to just under an hour, along with a facsimile of the order of service so you can follow and even join in. All of Benson's directions are there together with the lessons and benedictions. Of course back in 1880 the ever popular 'Carols for Choirs' had yet to be compiled so Benson uses much more of Handel's 'Messiah' than is usual today and remembering that the reconstruction takes us back to the 19th century all the spoken parts are taken by men. While the two discs together give us plenty of fascinating social and ecclesiastical history, 'Nine Lessons' is both an act of worship and a public proclamation and it is interesting to see and hear how Benson's original blueprint has been developed over the years to become the most popular service in the church calendar. If you do not believe me, visit your parish church this December.
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