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

• Audio Samples
• Album Summary
• Notes & Reviews
• Also Purchased
• Works Details

Audio Samples

Album Summary

Performers

• Andrew Davis [Conductor/Organ] (Organ)
• Simon Preston (Organ)
• Hervey Alan (Bass Baritone)

Conductor

• Willcocks, David

Ensemble

• 

Composers

• Peter Cornelius (1824 - 1874)
• Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893)
• Anonymous, Ritson Manscript (1460 - 1510)
• Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958)
• Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847)
• William James Kirkpatrick (1838 - 1921)
• Boris Ord (1897 - 1961)
• Michael Praetorius (1571 - 1621)
• Anonymous
• French Traditional
• Christmas Traditional
• John Goss (Composer) (1800 - 1880)
• Henry John Gauntlett (1805 - 1876)
• Peter Warlock (1894 - 1930)
• Harold Darke (Organ/Composer) (1888 - 1976)
• John Joubert (1927 - )
• John Francis Wade (1711 - 1786)
• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750)

Notes & Reviews:

This release is a jam-packed long-playing double CD of the most popular Christmas songs of all-time from the critically acclaimed Kings College Choir of Cambridge. The Choir has been in existence since the time of King Henry VI, who envisioned the daily singing of services in his magnificent chapel. The Choir is made up of 30 versatile singers who have performed all over the world.

Reviews

There are currently no reviews, be the first one!

Works Details

Mendelssohn, Felix : Festgesang "Hark! The herald angels sing"

• Performer: Andrew Davis [Conductor/Organ] (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Notes: Composition written: 1840.
• Running Time: 3 min. 42 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Form: Christmas
• Written: 1840

Traditional, Christmas : The First Nowell (English)

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 4 min. 53 sec.
• Form: Christmas
• Written: by 1823

Traditional, Christmas : While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks (adapted from Handel)

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 3 min. 15 sec.
• Period Time: Baroque
• Form: Christmas
• Written: 1728

Traditional, Christmas : I Saw Three Ships, carol

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 2 min. 11 sec.
• Period Time: Renaissance
• Written: circa 1666

Traditional, Christmas : Ding Dong! Merrily on High (French)

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 2 min. 8 sec.
• Period Time: Medieval
• Form: Christmas
• Written: circa 1588

Traditional, Christmas : King Jesus Hath A Garden (Dutch)

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 4 min. 2 sec.
• Form: Christmas

Traditional, Christmas : In dulci jubilo (Piæ Cantiones)

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 3 min. 44 sec.
• Period Time: Medieval
• Form: Christmas
• Written: circa 1400

Traditional, Christmas : Unto Us Is Born A Son (Puer nobis nascitur; Piae Cantiones, 1582)

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 1 min. 58 sec.
• Period Time: Medieval
• Form: Choral
• Written: 13th Century

Wade, John Francis : O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste fideles)

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 4 min. 18 sec.
• Period Time: Classical
• Form: Choral
• Written: 1751

Kirkpatrick, William J. : Away in a manger :: Cradle Song) (New English Hymnal 22)

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 2 min. 31 sec.
• Period Time: Post Romantic
• Written: 1885

Traditional, Christmas : O Little Town of Bethlehem

• Performer: Andrew Davis [Conductor/Organ] (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 3 min. 11 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Written: 1868

Traditional, Christmas : The Holly and the Ivy (English)

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 3 min. 30 sec.
• Form: Christmas
• Written: circa 1710

Traditional, Christmas : God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen (English)

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 3 min. 28 sec.
• Period Time: Baroque
• Form: Christmas

Goss, John : See Amid the Winter's Snow, for chorus

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 4 min. sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Form: Christmas

Traditional, Christmas : Past Three O'clock, carol (English)

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 2 min. 34 sec.

Bach, Johann Sebastian : Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 :: Invitatory

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 1 min. 37 sec.
• Period Time: Baroque
• Form: Christmas
• Written: 1734

Ord, Boris : Adam lay ybounden

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 1 min. 26 sec.
• Period Time: Modern

Traditional, Christmas : Gabriel's Message (Basque)

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 2 min. 45 sec.
• Period Time: Medieval
• Form: Christmas
• Written: circa 1582

Gauntlett, Henry John : Once in Royal David's City, carol

• Performer: Andrew Davis [Conductor/Organ] (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 5 min. 35 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Written: circa 1850

Traditional, Christmas : Sussex Carol ("On Christmas Night")

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 1 min. 58 sec.
• Period Time: Post-Romantic
• Form: Christmas
• Written: by 1892

Traditional, Christmas : Rocking Carol (Czech)

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 1 min. 43 sec.

Traditional, Christmas : Rejoice and Be Merry

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 1 min. 51 sec.
• Period Time: Renaissance
• Form: Christmas

Traditional, Christmas : The Cherry Tree Carol

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 1 min. 52 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Form: Christmas
• Written: circa 1820

Cornelius, Peter : The Three Kings

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 2 min. 46 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Form: Christmas
• Written: 1856

Traditional, Christmas : As With Gladness, Men of Old

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 3 min. 24 sec.

Praetorious, Michael : A Great and Mighty Wonder

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 3 min. 14 sec.
• Period Time: Renaissance

Traditional, Christmas : The infant King (Basque)

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 3 min. 22 sec.
• Form: Christmas

Warlock, Peter : Balulalow

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 2 min. 18 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Written: 1919

Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich : Legend (When Jesus Christ was but a child), song for voice & piano or orchestra (16 Children's Songs

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 2 min. 18 sec.
• Period Time: Romantic
• Written: 1884

Traditional, Christmas : Christ was born on Christmas day (German)

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 2 min. 24 sec.
• Form: Christmas

Traditional, Christmas : Blessed Be That Maid Marie (English)

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 2 min. 38 sec.

Traditional, Christmas : Lute Book Lullaby ("Sweet was the song the Virgin sung")

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 2 min. 4 sec.
• Period Time: Renaissance

Anonymous : Myn Lyking

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 2 min. 57 sec.

Traditional, Christmas : Personent hodie (On this day Earth shall ring) (Piae Cantiones)

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 2 min. 38 sec.
• Period Time: Medieval
• Form: Christmas
• Written: by 1582

Darke, Harold Edwin : In the Bleak Midwinter

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 4 min. 51 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Form: Christmas
• Written: 19th Century

Anonymous, Ritson Manscript : Lullay, lullow :: I saw a swete semely syght, christmas carol for 2 voices

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 2 min. 15 sec.
• Period Time: Renaissance
• Form: Christmas
• Written: 1475

Traditional, French : Shepherds in the Field Abiding

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 3 min. 4 sec.
• Period Time: Classical

Joubert, John : Torches, for chorus & organ, Op. 7a

• Performer: Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 1 min. 33 sec.
• Period Time: Modern
• Form: Christmas

Vaughan Williams, Ralph : Fantasia on Christmas Carols

• Performers: Hervey Alan (Bass Baritone); Simon Preston (Organ)
• Conductor: David Willcocks
• Running Time: 11 min. 38 sec.
• Period Time: Post Romantic
• Form: Christmas
• Written: 1912