Music has always been an essential part of Christmas, although over the years it has been increasingly commercialised and secularised as artists seek that elusive and lucrative Christmas No. 1, all of which has helped create a rich and evocative selection of music to listen to and enjoy at the festive season. At the heart of it all, though, are the traditional Christmas Carols, some of are genuinely traditional, their roots sometimes going back centuries, while others composed more recently have nevertheless become part of the familiar repertoire of carols enjoyed at candlelight services or community carol singing. A selection of carols to play over Christmas will always help to add some extra atmosphere, and this great-value 40-track 2-CD collection offers three different styles of performance to enjoy. The first CD features a selection of performances of well-known traditional carols by the classical choir of St. Paul's Cathedral in London, along with recordings made by the children of St. John's School in Pinner, Middlesex, which comprises more modern carols and Christmas songs with traditional repertoire. On CD2 we feature performances of carols and Christmas-related songs by major artists of the post-war era, recorded either as singles aimed at the Christmas charts, or on Christmas-themed albums, and which, with accompaniment by top orchestras and arrangers, bring a different dimension to the interpretation and enjoyment of the music.
1 St Paul's Cathedral Choir - Once in Royal David's City
2 St Paul's Cathedral Choir - the Holly and the Ivy
3 St Paul's Cathedral Choir - While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
4 St Paul's Cathedral Choir - Christians Awake
5 St Paul's Cathedral Choir - Unto Us Is Born a Son
6 St Paul's Cathedral Choir - See Amid the Winter's Snow
7 St Paul's Cathedral Choir - Coventry Carol
8 St Paul's Cathedral Choir - It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
9 St Paul's Cathedral Choir - We Three Kings of Orient Are
10 St Paul's Cathedral Choir - Hark the Herald Angels Sing
11 St. John's School Choir - Merry Christmas Everyone
12 St. John's School Choir - Jesus in a Manger
13 St. John's School Choir - Away in a Manger
14 St. John's School Choir - Frosty Weather
15 St. John's School Choir - Mary Had a Baby
16 St. John's School Choir - Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
17 St. John's School Choir - Mary's Boy Child
18 St. John's School Choir - Little Donkey
19 St. John's School Choir - Oh Christmas Tree
20 St. John's School Choir - Little Drummer Boy
- Disc 2 -
1 Mahalia Jackson - Silent Night
2 Frank Sinatra - Adeste Fideles
3 Mitch Miller & the Gang - Joy to the World
4 Peggy Lee - Deck the Halls
5 Nat King Cole - I Saw Three Ships
6 Pat Boone - It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
7 Bing Crosby - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
8 Johnny Mathis - O Holy Night
9 Jo Stafford - O Little Town of Bethlehem
10 Perry Como - the Twelve Days of Christmas
11 David Whitfield - Santo Natale (Merry Christmas)
12 Nat King Cole - Away in a Manger
13 Frank Sinatra - Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
14 Mitch Miller & the Gang - We Three Kings of Orient Are
15 Peggy Lee - the Star Carol
16 Pat Boone - the First Noel
17 Bing Crosby - Good King Wenceslas
18 Johnny Mathis - What Child Is This
19 Nat King Cole - a Cradle in Bethlehem
20 Shirley Bassey - Ave Maria
Music has always been an essential part of Christmas, although over the years it has been increasingly commercialised and secularised as artists seek that elusive and lucrative Christmas No. 1, all of which has helped create a rich and evocative selection of music to listen to and enjoy at the festive season. At the heart of it all, though, are the traditional Christmas Carols, some of are genuinely traditional, their roots sometimes going back centuries, while others composed more recently have nevertheless become part of the familiar repertoire of carols enjoyed at candlelight services or community carol singing. A selection of carols to play over Christmas will always help to add some extra atmosphere, and this great-value 40-track 2-CD collection offers three different styles of performance to enjoy. The first CD features a selection of performances of well-known traditional carols by the classical choir of St. Paul's Cathedral in London, along with recordings made by the children of St. John's School in Pinner, Middlesex, which comprises more modern carols and Christmas songs with traditional repertoire. On CD2 we feature performances of carols and Christmas-related songs by major artists of the post-war era, recorded either as singles aimed at the Christmas charts, or on Christmas-themed albums, and which, with accompaniment by top orchestras and arrangers, bring a different dimension to the interpretation and enjoyment of the music.
