'What sweeter music': issues in choral church music c.1960-2017, with special reference to the Christmas Eve carol service at King's College Chapel, Cambridge, and its new commissions.

During the course of the 20th century, the choir of King’s College, Cambridge came to be seen as the epitome of English sacred choral singing. Its annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols on Christmas Eve, established in 1918 and broadcast since 1928, attracts a global audience. The carol was originally a popular genre which was not primarily intended for liturgical use, but which interacted with and commented on the sacred in an accessible way before becoming a fully accepted part of the church repertoire . The association between carols and King’s therefore illustrates two contrasting approaches to music in worship: one concentrated on the pursuit of excellence, often perceived as elitist or exclusive, and a more ‘utilitarian’ approach focused on participation. Both these approaches will be examined using King’s as a lens.
King’s also illustrates the steady increase in standards and expectations of church music since the nineteenth century. Various factors in the evolution of the ‘King’s sound’ will be examined, including the increased emphasis on professionalism in cathedral and collegiate choirs, the establishment of a choir school, cultural expectations surrounding the treble voice, and the availability of recordings and broadcasts as a benchmark to evaluate performance.
Every year since 1983, the service has included a commission from a leading composer, including several not necessarily normally associated with church music. The intention behind the commissions was to ensure that the established tradition of the carol service did not become fossilised, but remains in dialogue with the best of secular composition. It also demonstrates that interesting and innovative composers are willing to write for the Anglican liturgy, regardless of their own religious affiliation. This will entail a discussion of other recent commissioning initiatives in church music, such as the Merton Choirbook and Choirbook for the Queen. Finally, I shall examine the King’s commissions and their contribution to the wider choral repertoire. If the most successful commissions are those which adhere closely to the carol format, there are implications for the debate about style and purpose in church music which King’s epitomises.