Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Hark the herald angels sing
2. I saw three ships
3. First Noel
4. God rest ye merry gentlemen
5. While shepherds watched
6. Virgin unspotted
7. Once in Royal David's city
8. In the bleak midwinter
9. It came upon a midnight clear
10. In dulci jubilo
11. O little town of Bethlehem
12. Past three o'clock
13. Coventry carol
14. Away in a manger
15. Nativity
16. Unto us a son is born
17. Silent night holy night
18. Ding dong merrily on high
19. We wish you a merry Christmas
20. Lord at first did Adam make
21. Up good Christian folk and listen
22. Infant holy
23. O little one sweet
24. O come o come Emmanuel
25. Twelve days of Christmas

Disc 2:

1. Good King Wenceslas
2. Cherry tree carol
3. Joy to the world
4. Here we a come a wassailing
5. See amid the Winter's snow
6. Gaudette
7. Holly and the ivy
8. We've been a while a wandering
9. We three kings of Orient are
10. Shepherd's pipe carol
11. Master in this hall
12. Babe of Bethlehem
13. Spotless rose
14. Angel tidings
15. When an angel host entuned
16. As with gladness men of old
17. Adam lay bounden
18. Coming of our king
19. Christ was born on Christmas day
20. Christmas carol
21. Sans day carol
22. Gabriel's message
23. Chester carol
24. Rocking
25. Me thinks I see a Heav'nly host
26. Angels from the realm of glory

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #77842 in Music
• Released on: 1998-11-23
• Number of discs: 2

Customer Reviews

Superb Collection
This is a super carol collection, top notch performances, comprehensive selection of tracks, great price - can't really be faulted.

Exactly what it says on the label!
The title says it all - Outstanding!

52 carols sung by 7 English choirs - brilliant
If you love Christmas carols, you will find this to be a real treasure trove. This double-CD is compiled from various Christmas albums recorded by English choirs. Between them, they seem to have included every famous carol and a lot of obscure ones.

The seven choirs are the choir of King's college (Cambridge), the Bach Choir (London), the Clare College singers (Cambridge), the Temple Church choir (London), the Taverners choir, the Midiaevel Baebes and the Huddersfield choral society. A brief history of each is included in the liner notes.

Some of these carols are world famous including Hark the herald angels sing, The first noel, O little town of Bethlehem, Away in a manger, Silent night, Joy to the world, We three kings and O come all ye faithful.

Some others are famous in Britain but (judged on what I've seen of American Christmas albums) are not especially well known in America. These include While shepherds watched, Once in Royal David's city, In the bleak midwinter and The holly and the ivy. I have come across American covers of these songs - but not often (and I buy a lot of American music).

There are yet other songs which are obscure even to me, but it's great to have them all in one collection. What would you have to spend to get all these Christmas carols any other way?

If you enjoy Christmas carols, I doubt if you'll find a better collection anywhere.