Sacred Voices
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...more details
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