In previous years, lighting for the audience, organ, walls and ceiling had all been done from the narrow ledge over the choir stalls. However, a review of safety practices decided that it was not safe to work at height without a harness, and there was no way a harness could be attached to the ancient walls without disfiguring the chapel. So some 'sensitive' rigging was performed by the ELP team. Using a variety of custom mountings a vertical truss was placed at each corner of the choir area, allowing a few lamps on each for 'lifting' the very dark woodwork, organ, and audience. A simple black cloth disguised the truss for the recording.
With Davis' direction, ELP's range of Arri Junior Fresnels and Source 4's did their job admirably. The shadows left by the lighting were filled by the light through the stained glass window, giving a colourful haze. Four Arrisun 4KW MSR PARs were placed outside the building on the lawns to beam light through the stained glass windows and into the Chapel. This produced a wonderfully festive effect.
The famous Kings College roof was almost entirely lit from the 'ante chapel', which is not seen in the TV coverage. Small clusters of lamps dotted around the place almost appeared to have just been 'dumped', but as ELP have learnt with Davis, everything is deliberate with nothing left to chance.
Davis described how the production team used clever adapters that allowed the lights illuminating the choristers' music to also lift their faces, thus giving them a candle-lit effect. He demonstrated the adapter and fittings that transform the regular chorister's candle holder and explained that the pipe used to make them came from a vehicle barrier that had been accidentally snapped off at the BBC OB base. It had then been sawn up, machined, and sprayed gold. The results - the Chapel looks candle-lit, as do the choir. He concludes "with the quality of high definition cameras getting better and better. Little ingenious touches like this contribute immensely to the overall effect."
(Chris Henry)
