Light On Dark Water

Past Three O’Clock

This is a carol I did not know until fairly recently but have come to love, by way of this King's College recording, which I think I've recommended before. It's an inexpensive two-disc set of wonderful performances of most of the best-known and some lesser-known carols, plus a Vaughan Williams "Fantasia on Christmas Carols" (which is the last thing in the set and which I confess I haven't really listened to). The recordings are from the early '60s, so not up to contemporary sound quality, but still very good. You can find the words here.

 

 

Maclin Horton
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7 responses to “Past Three O’Clock”

  1. Rob G

    Merry Christmas to all. I’ve been offline since Tuesday but I hope everyone had a great holiday!
    Mac, if you like Britten’s ‘Ceremony…’ I think you’ll like RVW’s ‘Fantasia…’ I try to listen to both every Christmas season.

    Reply
  2. Rob G

    A brief Christmas piece by Orthodox composer John Tavener, who passed away last month, sung here by the same choir you mention:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9haxjywIDVQ
    And Lauridsen’s ‘O Magnum Mysterium’ by the same choir should not be missed:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KvrbYZB2vY

    Reply
  3. Charles Kinnaird

    What a lovely carol! It’s a new one to me – thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  4. Mac

    You’re welcome. I love it. It has that deeply English quality that seems to touch some racial (in the old-fashioned sense) spot in me. Like “The Holly and the Ivy.”

    Reply
  5. Mac

    The Tavener piece is beautiful, Rob. I’m familiar with the Lauridsen one–my daughter who does choral singing has mentioned it more than once.
    The reason I haven’t really paid attention to the VW Fantasia is that it comes at the end of 2 hours of music, and by that time I’m not really listening. One of these days I’ll sit down and listen to it alone.

    Reply
  6. Rob G

    I think I first heard ‘Past Three O’Clock’ on the Chieftains Christmas album “The Bells of Dublin.” It’s not a very commonly heard carol, at least in the States.

    Reply
  7. Mac

    I just listened to the VW piece and it really is good. Thanks for pointing it out.

    Reply

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