Carols by Candlelight 2017 - Show 3

Flashback: The First Special from Vision Australia Radio celebrating 80 years of Carols By Candlelight.

A beloved Australian tradition, Vision Australia’s Carols by Candlelight has a remarkable history of supporting children who are blind or have low vision and this year marked the 80th anniversary for the iconic Christmas celebration. Eighty years ago, the vision of one man, Norman Banks MBE, created what has become Australia’s most iconic Christmas event. A veteran of radio, Banks was walking home on Christmas Eve in 1937, when he noticed an elderly woman sitting up in bed by her window, her face lit only by a candle. She had a radio beside her and was singing along to the Christmas carol, ‘Away in a Manger’. It was at this moment that Banks was inspired to create a gathering of people to sing Carols by Candlelight. Thanks to the gracious personal interest of the Lord Mayor at the time, Cr. A.W. Coles, Norman Banks gained the approval of the City Council and set to work organising the whole program. And so, in 1938, ten thousand people gathered at midnight in the Alexandra Gardens to sing carols with a 30-strong choir, two soloists and the Metropolitan Fire Brigade Band. The unusual candlelight setting, and the beauty of the carols, instantly won the affection of the large assembly. A new Christmas tradition was born.

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Episode Transcript

S1 (00:14):
Welcome to a look back at Vision Australia's carols by candlelight.
I'm Michael Harris with the 80th anniversary just around the corner.
We take a look back at Carol's past and present
with our journey today focusing on the music of this event.
We begin with the first song of the 2016 Carols
by Candlelight concert. Oh come all Ye Faithful sung by

(00:37):
David Campbell.

S2 (00:38):
Oh come who he faithful, joyful and triumphant o come
ye olde. Come meet back. Hitler had called. B o

(01:02):
d o king of Hey, James o come. So adored him. Oh, come. Oh, him, oh,

UU (01:19):
come, let us adore him try. I stood.

S2 (01:30):
Yes.

UU (01:33):
We agree. On this map. Oh. Is to be made long. Give. Winds, lash. Saga. Again.

(02:10):
And I

S2 (02:11):
saw him whole

UU (02:15):
time. Also. He. And you say, yes, OK, should say, oh, yes,

(02:45):
this entire time. Okay. Let my side. Oh, again. On

(03:13):
that side, I don't. Oh. Some.

S1 (03:36):
We now hear White Christmas, sung by the 2013 winner
of The Voice, Harrison Craig.

UU (03:49):
I am dreaming of who.

S2 (03:55):
It's Chris. And just like the ones I used to know.

UU (04:07):
Well. This. So let's see. If. In this. I. During.

S2 (04:42):
Every Christmas card.

UU (04:56):
And, Rob. And they all. I. So just. Some were. To.

(05:51):
Sleep in. Chris? With every Christmas card. He's been very. And.

(06:30):
And they all. Look, Chris. Major League. Christmasy.

S2 (06:41):
Mail your Christmas. He was.

S1 (07:05):
Right now, we move to the kids entertainment of the night.
Here's high five with Santa Claus is coming to town
and coming.

UU (07:15):
He's not happy about his time in. Could it be
the final game of a pretty for my pay for that,
but our own we can hardly wait for the Christmas tree?

(07:36):
You could.

S2 (07:40):
Been lobbying.

UU (07:44):
Common sense. It's not that people. Typekit.

S2 (07:59):
Freelancing in cabinet

UU (08:01):
and lighting candles to my favorite part of Christmas Eve
is cuddling up to the Christmas tree and playing a
Christmas morning star

S2 (08:13):
Bobby.

UU (08:16):
Said. He's not there. They. Tomorrow's Christmas Day. Yes, it

(08:36):
is necessary. We can hardly. His comments, according to Pakistani.

(08:58):
He's happy people. Side by.

S2 (09:10):
Not enough time to stop.

S1 (09:34):
Next, we have Sylvie Palladino with when a child is born.

UU (09:51):
A ray of hope. Listens in the sky.

S2 (09:59):
A tiny star

UU (10:01):
lights up way up high. All across the land towards
a brand new boat. This comes to pass

S2 (10:17):
when a child

UU (10:18):
is born. Silent rage. You see. The winds of change. Whisper.
And the walls of doubt, Trump. This comes to pass.

(10:46):
When it's. This is. Waiting for I

S2 (10:56):
like to think it's also

UU (10:58):
about. Children from all around the world. The life that
we are lucky enough to share in their joy. Faith, forgiveness.
And spirits reminding us. Christmas is really. Somehow.

S1 (12:01):
Next on our look back at the music of carols
by candlelight. We have Delta Goodrem with O Holy Night.

UU (12:12):
The star. Right, shiny, Edis. Is. They.

S2 (12:31):
And see

UU (12:32):
that name. You need to be. This. But it's. When
you are love. Boy, yonder. So, you know, your small.

(13:03):
So we thought. Love you be. Oh, he's. Dubai. When

(13:31):
Christ was born. My. David?

S2 (14:01):
So this was meant to be.

UU (14:29):
So. No. Far.

S1 (15:58):
On our look back at carols by candlelight, here's a
beautiful rendition of Ding Dong merrily on high.

UU (16:10):
They've got. And the. Not much.

S1 (18:17):
Now we have the 2014 Carols by Candlelight Choir, but
that's Christmas to me.

S2 (18:22):
My place is burning bright, shiny gold on me. See
our prayers and send me our Christmas tree. And oh,
wait on that Santa comes to wake me from my dreams. Oh, I,

(18:42):
because that's Christmas to me. See the children play outside
like angels in the snow. Well, mom and dad is
sharing a kiss under the mistletoe and will cherish these
simple things wherever we may be. Oh, why? Because that's

(19:08):
Christmas to me. I've got this Christmas song in my
soul in.

UU (19:21):
We need that.

S2 (19:25):
No stockings by the Christmas tree. Oh, my, because that's
Christmas to me. Away, because that's Christmas to me. This is.

UU (19:46):
The to working.

S2 (19:49):
View as a full me to. Boarding school means the
only gift I ever need is a giant family flag,
because that's Christmas to. At this Christmas

UU (20:12):
song, in my song in my.

S2 (20:18):
Blowing in the. Hanging all the stockings by the Christmas tree.
All right. Because that's Christmas to. Why? Because that's Christmas
to me. Dyed in the wool, the mood.

UU (20:53):
John? It's hard to

S2 (20:57):
say, oh, why, because that's Christmas to me. I've got
this Christmas song in my. I've got candles going in time,

(21:17):
and then the years to come will always know one day.
And that Christmas can three. Because that's Christmas to

S1 (21:34):
me to finish this look back. Here's Tim Campbell with
underneath the Christmas tree.

UU (21:41):
Good evening. Merry Christmas! Should we? Seem to. On Christmas Day. Besides. That.

(22:10):
I'm going to hold you close and make sure that
you know how long I was last before you. Christmas
was closed May. Another holiday gone to celebrate. You have

(22:35):
to bear fruit. It's clear. Beneath the

S2 (22:40):
tree. The Gaza canvassing.

UU (22:48):
You say Christmas. President's Bonspiel bill besides. You. The word
I was looking for.

S2 (23:13):
Me and hobbits might be. Not me, right? I might
be going out for a window of reason. Oh, bless you.
You are here, money and everything. We all are lucky.

(23:36):
Come on, let's get the afternoon. You know

UU (23:39):
where you? To the same. That's right. President. Now you're.

(24:18):
All the gods of capitalism. He tied. Merry Christmas, thank

(24:54):
you very much.

S1 (24:57):
That brings us to the end of our look back
at the music of carols by candlelight. I'm Michael Harris.
Join me next week at 7.30pm as we preview the
80th anniversary of carols by candlelight. And don't forget to
be listening to our special audio. Describe broadcast of carols
by candlelight from eight p.m. on Christmas Eve, only on

(25:17):
Vision Australia radio via digital and online at Vah Radio
dot org.

UU (25:26):
Danger. See? To the

S2 (25:31):
newborn, he

UU (25:37):
cries while I stand. Christ, this. Last.

S2 (25:48):
Lord, late inside.

UU (25:51):
He will tell. And they be forced. Let's see helping
Donald J. She praised. To do away. She's also.

S2 (26:21):
And you will

UU (26:24):
hope. Chelsea glory to the new.

S2 (26:34):
But.

UU (26:49):
In some ways. And I. You know, the.

S2 (27:10):
Oh, my

UU (27:13):
God. Those is the size of a to give them second. The.