Advent Carol Service (St John’s College, Cambridge): Roxanna Panufnik – The Call (World Première)

It’s Advent Sunday, the start of a new Church year, and before you can say “Tis the season…”, here comes the first carol service this afternoon, from – as usual – St John’s College, Cambridge.

Like its big brother, the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, this service also features a new commission each year, and for 2010 Roxanna Panufnik was chosen, taking as her text George Herbert’s poem The Call. She adds to the choir a harp, creating an opulent, even heady setting, the continual upward motion of the harp sounding like clouds of rising incense; it’s a gorgeous piece, each stanza bestowed with Panufnik’s trademark rich tonality.

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