This is a very amateur videoclip of the North Chamber Singers doing one of my favourite French Christmas carols. Why would I choose this one over a more polished version? Well, first of all, they get the tempo right. When this one is done by choirs in French cathedrals, they drag it out at about half the speed, effectively killing it as far as I'm concerned, and turning it into something dirge-like. I used to link this one with Angels We Have Heard on High (another French carol) when I led worship in a little French church and we'd swap back and forth between the two, doing both of them with a lively, sprightly rhythm. Yes, there is a place for the solemn awe of "O Holy Night", but there is also a place for the bouncy joy that this little choir captured. And their English accents are so cute...
I have no idea where these kids are from or anything about their choir. I'm open to enlightenment.
Technorati tags: Il est né, Christmas music, North Chamber Singers
2 hours ago
2 comments:
Oh that's cool! I didn't know that carol.
Goodness, I can't imagine the Gloria part of Angels We Have Heard on High done slowly. What a waste!
I'm not surprised you haven't heard it. I didn't even know an English version existed before finding this clip.
The gloria doesn't get slowed down as badly as this one. I'm the one who would link them. But I have heard it done way too painfully slowly. (How's that for an abuse of adverbs?) There's a certain kind of religiosity that seems to think that only solemnity is acceptable. And an equally obnoxious variety that can't comprehend the value of solemnity. They both have their place. It seems to me that a balanced relationship with God has room for both, just like a couple should be able to do love-sick sighs and giggle uncontrollably. Just not at the same time... ;o)
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