First to welcome was Canon Roly, interim dean, who delivered some opening sentences. Soon after, with the choir prepared at the West End below the Christmas tree, Harry Lin astounded the Cathedral with his solo verse of Once in Royal David’s City.

The First Lesson, taken from Genesis 3, was delivered by Q boy Henry Sergison-Main. Surrounded by older College readers, and as the only Q boy among them, he nonetheless spoke with remarkable clarity and confidence that would not have been out of place among pupils many years his senior. Remaining on the theme of Adam’s Fall, the Chapel Choir sang the striking tunes in Boris Ord’s Adam lay ybounden.

A multitude of musical styles were then to be found in the anthems, from the Chapel Choir’s performance of Mary’s Lullaby by John Rutter and the gentle melodies in the chorus of Andrew Carter’s A Maiden Most Gentle sung by Michlā Choir to the upbeat rhythm in the rendition of William Mathias’s A Babe is Born All of a May. A particular highlight was Lauridsen’s enchanting O Magnum Mysterium, where the combined choirs paused time during the slowly growing progressions and suspensions. Lauridsen’s harmonic language, marked by major seventh chords, created a sense of stillness and awe that captured the wonder at the Nativity.

After a few prayers, the whole Cathedral stood to sing O Come, all ye Faithful, and shortly afterwards, Hark! The Herald-Angels Sing where the Treble (and Tenor) voices blew the roof off the Cathedral building in the final descant arranged by Mr. McCann. As the choir processed out, Mr. Cunningham launched into the Toccata from Widor’s Fifth Organ Symphony – a Christmas favourite.

Jerry Wang
Q Parent