Once a year, I try to watch this. In reality, it turns out to be once every two or three.
The Christmas one. Carols and readings from somewhere proper, in this case Ely Cathedral. Not a happy clapper in sight, except the born again triple jumper, whose trite naive truisms were surplus to requirements, but better exponentially than the gardening twatchmarsh.
During On Christmas night all Christians sing, I remarked that I cared little for that, and my favourites were It Came Upon the Midnight Clear and Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Immediately following, Jonathan Edwards announced a poll for the Nation's Favourite - to be announced on Christmas Day...next year.
Next up was It Came Upon the Midnight Clear, which I realised I hadn't heard in years. It combines every element necessary for a good Christmas carol - great tune, great words, intelligent and effective separating of male and female voices, often, although not here superb brass, and a stonking great organ part.
I find the third verse to be deeply profound.
Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love song which they bring:
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing.
Comments