Carols from Kings.......

[woolybanana]

..... this afternoon on both Radio 4 and World Service at 1500hrs

[DerekJ]

Thanks for the reminder.  We are going to watch it on BBC2 at 18:45 UK time. Wonderful singing, wonderful architecture. Always a beautiful experience.

The start of Christmas for me.

[woolybanana]

It is the real beginning of Xmas for we Bananas

[Gluestick]

One of the highspots of Christmas Eve for the Gluey family too, Woolly.

The other being Midnight Mass at our wonderfully simple medieval parish church.

Mrs Gluey  has most magnanimously offered to avoid the demon drink this evening and drive.

Edit: Photobucket was playing silly b.s now OK.

[IMG]http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq332/PercyPee/StMarytheVirgin.jpg[/IMG]

[cooperlola]

We always used to do this at school for Christmas - more my sort of music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV27dCFxY18&feature=related

Fiendish to sing.

[Judith]

Just finished listening - our first time for ages - and we wait to watch the TV also later .... doesn't seem like there's much more worth watching - it's our first time watching UK tv for 3 years - seems to have gone downhill, no Morecombe and Wise, Val Doonican, or the two Ronnies, (!!!!!!!)   though we did catch the ones last night ......  oh the joys of digital....

[cooperlola]

Judith, there's a documentary on BBC 4 tonight called "Cardigans at Christmas" which you might like.[:)]  In fact, I think there's a load of good stuff on that channel tonight if you liked the Carols from Kings (although the Sea Shanty prog' might not be up your street, I thought it was excellent.)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/programmes/schedules/today

[Judith]

Coops,

Thanks, yes, we saw that BBC 4 had some choral stuff for Christmas, but have just watched the TV carols from Kings on 2, different, and I think nicer than the radio one.  OH once got to go to it live in Cambridge (well he is a Cambridge graduate so not surprising) so we think we've been caroled out by now, and off for an early night as I've been dealing with a glut of kaki fruit all day and I'm jiggered ......

Happy Christmas, everyone!

[idun]

We went to see the Kings College Choir in France when they were 'on tour' several years ago. They were wonderful.

[idun]

Judith what do you do with kaki fruit. There was always a 'glut' in our village as most were left to rot, like me I suspect that many did not like them.

[NormanH]

I went to this several times in the 60's..

My first real girlfriend's father was a Fellow of King's, so we had privileged access..

[Judith]

[quote user="idun"]Judith what do you do with kaki fruit. There was always a 'glut' in our village as most were left to rot, like me I suspect that many did not like them.[/quote]

Well having now done two boxes out of 6 (I had a break yesterday - lovely Christmas day with friends) I am beginning to realise why most are left to fall to the ground - they are quite a pain to deal with.

So this I have found.  You are suppose to leave them until the first frost, and then pick.  We did, but still had a mixture of ripe and unripe.

So I worked on the ripest first, with some not so ripe.  If less ripe you could perhaps skin them, but getting the seeds out is still quite difficult.  The seeds come out best when ripe, but then the skins won't come off.  I had several tries at:

1)  Cutting into quarters, and putting into a slow coooker and see what happened.  Came out not that good (I was thinking of compôte) but eventually took out stones and removed skins then (since I'd run out of time on Chrismas Eve) left covered in the fridge -may try to crumble or stew again.

2) Stoned one batch, and again slow cookered them - no more successful than 1, so again, skinned and joined with 1) above and leave to deal with soon.

3) Juiced most (I have a juicer which I've hardly used, but it has finally com into its own). and whilst it is a messy job it is the way I would recommend - BUT, it is still best to stone first, as otherwise there is a nasty grinding noise.

The first press produces a thick and sweet juice - which I've frozen and will try out as an "instant" sorbet this week.  A second press produces a slightly pulpier but still ok "jus" -that again is frozen for the mo.

When the holidays are over and the next box relatively ripe, I'll get the juicer out again .... I think they might be good as jam/jelly - but we don't eat that much of it.

One of my French friends said, eat them like kiwi - cut in half, spoon out the inside, removes stones and eat - and if the sweetness of the juice is anything to go by, they will be delicious, but  I can't eat them all like that .....

So for those kaki fruit surpluses, hope that helps.

[Judith]

Just to say, last night I watched the carols for Christmas Day from Winchester (an old stamping ground for me, lived there in the early 80's), and thoroughly enjoyed.  Quite a different approach from King's but almost better, and some lovely carols, beautifully sung, just right for Christmas Day itself.  Now I would not mind if that became a tradition as well...

[DerekJ]

I quite agree Judith (I was thinking of posting something similar). I used to work nearby to Winchester and sometimes popped in for evensong. Always very moving. The cathedral is another one of England's gems.

[Judith]

And I gather, form a conversation over Christmas lunch yesterday, with someone who used to be a chorister at St Paul's, that Winchester has the longest nave in England.  Another one of those useless pieces of information, but Winchester is glorious. When I first went there I lived around the corner from it, and later, often used to walk through the green to the bus, or shopping, or something.  It is so nice that is "just there" cheek by jowl with the town (city - sorry!) itself.  Large but human at the same time - takes some beating ....

[DerekJ]

Couldn't agree more.  I used to work at Hursley so you can probably guess who for![:)]

[idun]

thanks for the Kaki thing, I really do not like them at all. I find them ecoeurant, which rather suprised me, I had expected something quite different looking at them.

[Judith]

[quote user="DerekJ"]Couldn't agree more.  I used to work at Hursley so you can probably guess who for![:)]

[/quote]

O yes!  I worked for the other "I" the other side of Winchester ..... happy days.

[Judith]

[quote user="idun"]thanks for the Kaki thing, I really do not like them at all. I find them ecoeurant, which rather suprised me, I had expected something quite different looking at them.[/quote]

Yes, if you don't like anything too sweet, I can see you might not like them, but interestingly I liked the taste of the juice (but OH didn;t - it being very sweet I thought he might), but I must confess I've not yet tasted the pulp - could be interesting.  I'll feed back when I've done so ....

and yes, they do not taste at all like they look .....