Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Once in Royal David's City
2. O Little Town of Bethlehem
3. First Nowell
4. I Saw Three Ships
5. Personent Hodie
6. Myn Lyking
7. Spotless Rose
8. Away in a Manger
9. I Sing of a Maiden
10. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
11. While Shepherds Watched
12. Up! Good Christian Folk and Listen
13. In the Bleak Midwinter
14. Silent Night
15. Holly and the Ivy
16. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
17. Three Kings
18. On Christmas Night
19. Child Is Born in Bethlehem
20. In Dulci Jubilo
21. O Come All Ye Faithful
22. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Disc 2:

1. Hodie Christus Natus Est
2. Hodie Christus Natus Est
3. O Magnum Mysteriu
4. Senex Puerum Portabat
5. Senex Puerum Portabat
6. Hodie Beata Virgo
7. Hosanna to the Son of David
8. Hosanna to the Son of David
9. Gloria in Excelsis Deo
10. When to the Temple Mary Went
11. Nowell! Nowell! Nowell!
12. Holly and the Ivy
13. Angelus Ad Virginem
14. Angelus Ad Virginem - Choir of King's College, Andrew Davis,
15. I Sing of a Maiden - Choir of King's College, Andrew Davis
16. Watts's Cradle Song - Choir of King's College, Andrew Davis,
17. My Dancing Day - Choir of King's College, Andrew Davis, ,
18. Sing a Song of Joy - Choir of King's College, Robert Spencer,
19. Jesus Christ the Apple Tree
20. Most Glorious Lord of Life - Choir of King's College, Andrew Davis
21. That Lord That Lay in Assë Stall
22. Where Riches Is Everlastingly - Choir of King's College, Andrew Davis

Disc 3:

1. Once in Royal David's City - Choir of King's College,
2. Bidding Prayer
3. Resonet in Laudibus
4. Genesis 3
5. Adam Lay Ybounden
6. Sussex Caro
7. Isaiah 9
8. Joseph and Mary - Choir of King's College, Charles Daniels
9. St. Luke 1
10. Maiden Most Gentle
11. St. Luke 2
12. Stille Nacht!
13. Chester Caro
14. St. Luke 2
15. Angels, from the Realms of Glor
16. St. Matthews 2
17. Babe Is Bor
18. St. John 1
19. O Come All Ye Faithful
20. Collect for the Christmas Eve and the Blessing
21. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
22. In Dulci Jubilo

Disc 4:

1. I Look from Afar
2. Come, Thou Redeemer of the Earth
3. Isaiah 40:1-8
4. Drop Down, Ye Heavens, from Above
5. Jeremiah 23:5-6
6. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
7. Haggai 2:6-9
8. Up, Awake and Away!
9. All and Some
10. Isaiah 35:1-6
11. 'Twas in the Year
12. Cherry Tree Carol
13. King Jesus Has a Garden
14. On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry
15. St. Luke 1:26-35 and 38
16. Gabriel's Message
17. Wake, O Wake! With Tidings Thrilling
18. St. Mark 1:1-4a and 7-15
19. I Wonder as I Wander
20. My Dancing Day
21. Judah and Jerusalem, Fear Not
22. Prayers and Blessing
23. Lo! He Comes With Clouds Descending
24. Nun Komm', Der Heiden Heiland

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #49398 in Music
• Released on: 1998-09-15
• Number of discs: 4
• Format: Box set
• Dimensions: .93 pounds

Customer Reviews

4 Disc tour de' force of "high church" Christmas music
It's in there.. this is a great collection of Anglican Cathedral Christmas music. Highly recommended.

a voice teacher and early music fan
FABULOUS FOUR DISCS OF THE KING'S COLLEGE CHOIR.
The four albums are as follows:
'CHRISTMAS MUSIC FROM KING'S' conducted by Sir David Willcocks (1964&65). This album is somewhat different in that the repertoire, although having some traditional carols,contains works that are more classically oriented such as:'Hodie Christus Natus Est'(Palestrina)(Victoria), 'O magnum mysterium' (Victoria), 'Senex puerum portabat'(Byrd), 'Hodie beata virgo'(Gibbons) and several more of this ilk. To hear these wonderful renditions from this great choir was a joy to me, and I loved the fact that they were NOT the usual carols, although I also enjoy them, and many are on the remaining three albums.

'FAVORITE CAROLS FROM KING'S' includes two conductors in different sessions: Willcocks has carols from 1969,1971&72&73. For the most part these are familiar carols such as 'Once in Royal David's City','O Come, O Come Emmanuel' etc. Do remember, that though they ARE familiar, King's College Choir has the distinct reputation for having unusual and refreshingly different arrangements, that not only involve harmonic changes, but varied voicings and often different accompaniments than usual. Sir David Ledger has carols from 1976. They also are somewhat traditional such as: 'O Little Town of Bethlehem', 'The First Nowell', 'A Spotless Rose', 'Up!good Christian folk' etc. Not all the 'familiar' titles have the usual familar melodies, and again I found it refreshing! Needless to say, both choirs are superb!

'A FESTIVAL OF LESSONS AND CAROLS FROM KINGS' conducted solely by Ledger in December, 1978. The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols sung on Christmas Eve in King's College Chapel follows the form laid down in 1918 by the recently appointed Dean, Eric Milner-White. Ideally (in the service) there is no marked alternation of music and lessons but rather the story unfolds evenly through words spoken and words sung, both being enriched as they take their place within the overriding purpose. The words of many of the carols have a long history (such as 'A Maiden Most gentle' by Verable Bede,AD 673-735) but many are sung to new settings or new arrangements. Two other carols I found particularly attractive: 'Adam lay ybounden'Boris Ord a former directer of the Choir, and 'A Babe is Born' William Mathias.

'AN ADVENT PROCESSION WITH CAROLS FROM KING'S' conducted by Ledger December, 1979 has the most interesting collection of carols (in my opinion) of alltime, that is, if you love Anglican music. The arrangements are incredibly clever, especially as to the voicing of the parts, but a few words about the 'Procession'.

In 1934, Milner-White decided that more imaginative forms of worship were needed to maintain interest. And so he put together a framework of a service, the purpose of which was 'not to celebrate Christmas, but to expect it'. Whereas the Christmas Eve service is provided by the lessons, which are then reflected in the carols, in this new service many of the texts set to the music also contribute to the basic form.

And so we have in this album a WONDERFUL collection of some of the most interesting carols and arrangements I have ever heard in my VERY LONG musical life such as: 'Up,Awake and Away'(Gallician Carol), 'All and Some' (John Byrt), 'Twas In the Year'(Charles Wood arr.), 'Judah and Jerusalem'(Palestrina) and 'I Look from Afar'(Palestrina) etc.

Two of the above albums are listed on the King's College website BUT the other two are not. Moreover, if you price them individually you will pay at least twice as much than for all four. This is just such a bargain IF you enjoy the sound of this choir: clear-sounding boy sopranos, lush- sounding male altos, resonant tenors, and light non-rumbling basses. Enough said!!!!!