If you're in the market for a disc of mostly English choirs performing mostly English carols, then this is the set for you. It opens and closes with a matched pair of discs by the
and the Hallé Choir under Maurice Handford; and a disc featuring eight different sets of carols almost entirely by non-English performers like
. The Anglophone repertoire naturally favors perennially popular carols like "The First Nowell," "Away in a Manger," and "O Come All Ye Faithful," but also makes room for many more later hits like "The Little Drummer Boy" and, of course, "The Twelve Days of Christmas." Recorded between 1957 and 1996, the sound here is consistently big, bold, and brazen. For Brits and Anglophiles, this set can't be beat. ~ James Leonard, All Music Guide
| Christmas Traditional |
The First Nowell (English) |
5:00 |
| William James Kirkpatrick |
Away in a manger (Tune: Cradle Song) (New English Hymnal 22) |
2:12 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Up! Good Christian Folk, and Listen (Piae cantiones) |
1:19 |
| Christmas Traditional |
O Little Town of Bethlehem |
3:32 |
| Patrick Hadley |
I Sing of a Maiden for 2 voices & piano |
2:31 |
| Herbert Howells |
A Spotless Rose, for chorus |
3:12 |
| Henry John Gauntlett |
Once in Royal David's City |
5:14 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Personent Hodie (On this day Earth shall ring) (Piae Cantiones) |
2:43 |
| Richard Runciman Terry |
Myn Lyking |
3:20 |
| Christmas Traditional |
O come, O come, Emmanuel (Veni, veni, emmanuel), carol |
3:34 |
| Christmas Traditional |
The Holly and the Ivy (English) |
3:12 |
| Franz Xaver Gruber |
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht (Silent Night) |
3:07 |
| Christmas Traditional |
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night (unspecified tune) |
2:54 |
| Richard Storrs Willis |
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear |
3:34 |
| Christmas Traditional |
The Lord at first did Adam make |
3:19 |
| Felix Mendelssohn |
Hark! the Herald Angels Sing (adapted by W. H. Cummings from Mendelssohn's Festgesang for the Gutenberg Festival) |
4:08 |
| John Rutter |
Shepherd's Pipe Carol |
2:55 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly (W zlobie lezy) |
3:14 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Angel Tidings (Moravian) |
1:44 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Quelle est cette odeur agréable? (Whence is that goodly fragrance?) (French) |
3:25 |
| Christmas Traditional |
I Saw Three Ships |
2:02 |
| John Rutter |
Nativity Carol |
4:10 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Quem pastores laudavere (Hohenfurth Manuscript, 1410) |
2:24 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Rocking Carol (Czech) |
3:54 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Wassail Song ("Here We Come A-Wassailing"), carol |
4:09 |
| John Rutter |
The Coming of our King (Polish Carol) |
2:39 |
| Christmas Traditional |
The infant King (Basque) |
3:08 |
| Christmas Traditional |
La pastora Caterina, carol (Catalan) |
3:06 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Noël nouvelet, carol (French) |
3:31 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Gabriel's Message (Basque) |
3:49 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Sans Day Carol |
3:19 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Past Three O'clock, carol (English) |
2:28 |
| William Billings |
Methinks I See a Heavenly Host |
2:52 |
| Francisco de Vidales |
Los que Fueren de Buen Gusto |
4:17 |
| William Billings |
A Virgin Unspotted |
3:17 |
| William Walker |
The Babe of Bethlehem |
2:44 |
| Anonymous |
This Endere Nyghth |
4:47 |
| Matheo Flecha |
Riu, riu, chiu |
3:26 |
| Anonymous |
Christum Wir Sollen Loben Schon |
3:09 |
| Anonymous |
Gaudete! |
1:45 |
| Anonymous |
Verbum Caro: "In Hac Anni Circulo" |
2:22 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Alleluya: A nywe werk, for chorus |
5:54 |
| Christmas Traditional |
The old yeare now away is fled (English) |
1:54 |
| Thomas Tallis |
Hodie nobis caelorum Rex, motet for 4 voices, P. 92 |
3:24 |
| Giovanni Gabrieli |
Audite principes, motet for 16 voices |
6:18 |
| Michael Praetorius |
In Dulci Jubilo, for chorus & ensemble (from the Polyhymnia caduceatrix) |
3:45 |
| Katherine K. Davis |
The Little Drummer Boy (Carol of the Drum), carol |
2:42 |
| Christmas Traditional |
El niño querido (The Beloved Child) (Spanish) |
2:48 |
| Shaker Traditional |
Simple Gifts |
2:10 |
| Max Reger |
Maria Wiegenlied (Mary's Lullaby: "Maria sitzt am Rosenhag"), song for voice & piano (or orchestra), Op. 76/52 |
2:27 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Go Tell It on the Mountain, Christmas song (American) |
3:30 |
| George Frederick Handel |
Joy to the World (theme by Handel) |
1:56 |
| George Frederick Handel |
Judas Maccabaeus, oratorio, HWV 63 (Tochter Zion, freue dich) |
3:07 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Zu Bethlehem geboren (Geistlicher Psalter, Köln 1638) |
1:55 |
| Jester Hairston |
Mary's Little Boy Child, song |
4:41 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Ukrainian Bell Carol (Shchedryk) |
3:26 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Il est né, le divin enfant (French) |
2:39 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Minuit Chrétiens |
3:41 |
| Christmas Traditional |
La Marche des Rois (Provençal carol) |
2:49 |
| Moune de Rivel |
Noël des îles |
4:45 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Chanson joyeuse de Noël |
5:53 |
| Engelbert Humperdinck |
Weihnachten ("Leise weht's durch alle Lande"), for voice & piano |
3:11 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her (From Heaven on High), carol (German) |
3:15 |
| Harold Darke |
In the Bleak Midwinter |
3:48 |
| Christmas Traditional |
O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree) (German) |
2:27 |
| Christmas Traditional |
The Twelve Days of Christmas |
4:16 |
| Christmas Traditional |
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen (English) |
2:14 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Good King Wenceslas (Piae Cantiones, 1582) |
2:28 |
| John Henry Hopkins, Jr. |
We Three Kings of Orient Are |
3:07 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Angels From the Realms Of Glory |
3:09 |
| Conrad Kocher |
As With Gladness Men of Old |
2:30 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Coventry Carol (2): "Lully, Lulla, Thou Little Tiny Child" |
2:21 |
| Christmas Traditional |
We've been a while a-wandering, carol ("The Yorkshire Wassail Song") |
2:34 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Masters in This Hall |
4:04 |
| John Goss |
See Amid the Winter's Snow, for chorus |
3:46 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Sussex Carol ("On Christmas Night") |
1:42 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Ding Dong! Merrily on High (French) |
1:56 |
| Christmas Traditional |
O Little One Sweet |
2:53 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Wassail Song ("Here We Come A-Wassailing"), carol |
2:55 |
| Phyllis Tate |
Carol with Lullaby |
3:26 |
| Cecil Broadhurst |
A Cowboy Carol |
3:21 |
| Hector Berlioz |
L' Enfance du Christ, oratorio for soprano, 2 tenors, baritone, 3 basses, chorus & orchetsra ("trilogie sacrée") H. 130 (Op. 25) (The Shepherds' Farewell) |
4:43 |
| Christmas Traditional |
We Wish You a Merry Christmas (English) |
1:35 |
| Elizabeth Maconchy |
Nowell! Nowell! Nowell! |
1:53 |
| Ralph Vaughan Williams |
And All in the Morning ("On Christmas Day"), carol for chorus or voice & piano (Traditional English Carols No. 1) |
2:20 |
| Christmas Traditional |
I Saw A Maiden (Basque) |
3:09 |
| Samuel Scheidt |
Ein Kind geborn zu Bethleham |
2:33 |
| Peter Warlock |
Where Riches is Evelastingly |
2:51 |
| Anonymous |
How Far To Bethlehem? |
2:16 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Of the Father's heart begotten (A Christmas Procession) |
5:09 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Resonet in Laudibus (Piae Cantiones) |
1:59 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Shepherd's Cradle Song |
3:43 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Quittez pasteurs (O come away ye shepherds) (French) |
3:42 |
| Kenneth Leighton |
Lully, Lulla, Thou Little Tiny Child, for soloist & chorus, Op 25b |
2:55 |
| Thomas Ravenscroft |
Remember, O thou man (from Melismata, 1611) |
3:21 |
| Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck |
Hodie Christus natus est, motet for 5 voices & continuo (Cantiones Sacrae No. 13) |
3:50 |
| Orlando Gibbons |
Hosanna to the son of David, anthem for 6 voices |
3:14 |
| Philippe Le Chancelier |
Angelus ad virginem |
2:38 |
| Christmas Traditional |
Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day (English) |
2:05 |
| John Francis Wade |
O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste fidelis) |
4:46 |
