Monday 14 December 2009

A Spotless Rose

Chichester Cathedral in the snow, taken by Jane Sanders

Christmas is my favourite time of year, partly because of the music. I love choral music and Christmas is the highpoint in the choral calendar as seemingly endless rehearsals fade into a long span of concerts leading up to the big day. No Christmas holiday would be complete without going to a carol concert and this year I am giving myself two helpings as I am going to the concert at St. John Smith Square performed by the choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford and the carol service at Chichester Cathedral which I go to every year (another Christmas ritual).

Chichester is a magical place to be at Christmas as the traditional Georgian houses display twinkling lights on dainty trees in their windows and the delicious smell of woodsmoke wafts through the streets from the chimney pots above the mad, scrambling shoppers looking for their final gifts. The trees outside the Cathedral are decorated with lights and each year the young choristers help to decorate the tree inside the Cathedral. The carol service draws a huge crowd and everyone jostles inside to get their seats. The population of Chichester tends to be quite civilised until, that is, they want good seats at the carol service. I have to say it is a purely militant operation and the leading perpetrator of scurrying in with elbows at the ready is my Granny. She is a lovely, sweet lady but a lady who knows how to operate.

I enjoy a good belting sing (not sure that the people around me appreciate this) so Hark the Herald Angels Sing and Oh, Come all Ye Faithful are carols that I particularly look forward to as the congregation get to join in. But what is really fantastic is when the choir sings. One year they sang A Spotless Rose by Herbert Howells, a 20th century British composer. It was one of the most beautiful pieces of music that I had heard and it is my favourite Christmas carol. I have it on my iPod and I have to ration when I listen to it or else I would end up listening to carols all through the summer!

The words are taken from a 14th century poem:
A spotless Rose is blowing, sprung from a tender root
 / Of ancient seers’ foreshowing, of Jesse promised fruit. / 
Its fairest bud unfolds to light amid the cold, cold winter,
 /And in the dark midnight.

The Rose which I am singing, whereof Isaiah said
 / Is from its sweet root springing in Mary, purest maid.
 / For through our God’s great love and might
 / The blessed Babe she bare us in a cold, cold winter’s night.
I love the imagery and when the lyrics are coupled with Howells' flowing melody they are made even more beautiful. You can hear a recording here on YouTube by the BBC Singers. My favourite recording is by the Cambridge Singers under the direction of John Rutter. This carol is also a favourite as it combines my areas of interest; somewhat oddly, I have a serious penchant for both medieval literature and music and early 20th century literature and music (don't ask me anything about the Victorians - my knowledge of 19th century literature is sparse to say the least) and this carol brings together the two periods in history that I love. But aside from that it's just a lovely tune to listen to on a cold winter's night.

11 comments:

  1. I love singing carols so much! Let's sing some tomorrow!

    ReplyDelete
  2. So nice to read a positive Christmas post about a magical time of year. So many people seem to whinge about the expense, the hassle etc. Love the snowfall on your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have added your lovely blog to my blog roll - don't know why it has taken me so long. Dozily I thought I had done so already.

    ReplyDelete
  4. A spotless rose sounds lovely I had not heard of it before. Lovely post and love the snow.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am off to listen to this carol while I die of this evil glandular thing that has afflicted me.
    Chichester is indeed beautiful and I am painfully jealous of your country Christmas. Also you have to tell me how you make it snow on the screen! Clever girl!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh, from the text I take it, it must sound heavenly, since it reminds me of the old German Christmas song 'Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen...'
    I wish I could sing it to you!
    It must be beautiful to hear the choir singing! I share your joy about music and all those people lifting their voices!
    Lovely picture!

    Merry Christmas!
    XX
    Victoria

    ReplyDelete
  7. I quite often go to Chichester shopping but am ashamed to say I have never been to hear the carols in the cathedral...yet. I am not familiar with that carol at all but have been over to YouTube to listen. Are you familiar with the Cornish carols by Thomas Merritt? These are my particular favourites and I have never heard them outside the county. 'Lo He Comes an Infant Stranger' and 'Hail Sacred Day' are wonderful especially when sung by male voice choirs. They aren't on YouTube unfortunately. Merry Christmas to you.

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a wonderful ritual! And what a lovely post. I'd never heard of that carol, but I'm off to find it on iTunes now I've heard it. Thank you for the YouTube link.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Another delightful post. This seems like a suitable opportunity to wish you a very Happy Christmas. I hope you manage to get a good seat at the Chichester Carol Concer (switch that to the past tense, if it has already taken place).

    ReplyDelete
  10. Such a beautiful image, it's one that I prefer infinitely more than the one of a Mall at this time of year. And the whiff of woodsmoke...heavenly!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Verity - sorry we didn't get to sing carols - when we meet we could sneakily sing some - pish to all this nonsense that says it's bad luck to listen to carols after epiphany.

    Vintage Reading - I agree with you entirely, I have no time for humbugs.

    Juxtabook - many thanks!

    Book Pusher - I am glad to have introduced it to you

    Rachel - I hope you feel better

    Victoria - I am glad you like it. I will look up the German carol you refer to.

    Oh So Vintage - I love all things cornish so will check those out.

    Make do and read - I hope you found it on iTunes as it is so soothing in the midst of frantic Christmas preparations

    David - I got a very good seat at the concert and it was delightful. Happy Christmas!

    Darlene - Woodsmoke is heavenly! One of my favourite smells.

    ReplyDelete