Essential Carols: The Very Best of King's College Choir, Cambridge

Read About This Recording

Essential Carols is a two-CD set featuring the very best of the King's College Choir of Cambridge under the direction of David Willcocks. They are accompanied by Simon Preston and Andrew Davis on organ. The world-famous choir is one of today's most accomplished and renowned representatives of the great British choral tradition. It was created by King Henry VI, who founded the College in 1441, to provide daily singing in his glorious Chapel, which remains the main task of the choir to this day. The choir is made up of 16 male choristers who are educated at the King's College School. Among the many concerts and services they provide, the choir broadcasts worldwide to millions on Christmas Eve making Christmastime a big part of the King's College year, as well as their history.

The album presents a classic English choral Christmas including such standards as "Sussex Carol," "Ding Dong! Merrily on High," "Once in Royal David's City" and "Coventry Carol" as well as songs and carols that are rarely, if ever, heard in the U.S., such as "Rejoice and Be Merry," "The Cherry Tree" and "While Shepherds Watched." There are also the Welsh carols "Balulalow," "Myn Lyking" and "Adam Lay Ybounden," songs from a part of the English Isle famous for its singing. It is interesting to note that "O Little Town of Bethlehem," "Away in the Manger" and "In the Bleak Mid-winter" use the English melody to these classic standards while the carol "Shepherds in the Field Abiding" uses the familiar melody from "Angels We Have Heard on High" as its basis.

To American ears, these will be a different take on these well-known treasures. The album is completed with offerings from German, Basque and French traditional songs and, in keeping with the English precedent, the album ends with the Fantasia on Christmas Carols by the esteemed English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. The choir is first-rate and choral music at Christmas time is a time-honored tradition loved by everyone.

Essential Christmas is just that — and should be an essential part of your Christmas music collection. Highly recommended, it is a definitive collection of 39 holiday and yuletide classics.

—Terence London

Quotes

"Choral music fans know that the Choir of King's College, Cambridge ranks with the best." —Classics Today

Contents

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing; The First Nowell; While Shepherds Watched; I Saw Three Ships; Ding Dong! Merrily on High; King Jesus Hath a Garden; In dulci jubilo; Unto Us is Born a Son; O Come, All Ye Faithful; Away in a Manger; O Little Town of Bethlehem; The Holly and the Ivy; God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen; See Amid the Winter's Snow; Past Three O'clock; Invitatory; Adam Lay Ybounden; Gabriel's Message; Once in Royal David's City; Sussex Carol; Rocking; Rejoice and Be Merry; The Cherry Tree Carol; The Three Kings; As With Gladness Men of Old; A Great and Mighty Wonder; The Infant King; Balulalow; The Crown of Roses; Christ Was Born on Christmas Day; Blessed Be That Maid Mary; Lute-book Lullaby; Myn Lyking; Personent Hodie; In The Bleak Midwinter; Coventry Carol; Shepherds in the Field Abiding; Torches; Fantasia on Christmas Carols.

Choir of King's College, Cambridge; Sir David Willcocks, Conductor.