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Recorded between 1969 and 2004, the 51 selections on Classic Christmas Carols are sacred standards of the holiday, yet presented with such uneven sound quality and unpredictable volume levels that fans of this music may find this EMI double-disc hard to sit through without frequent adjustments. Granted, the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, is one of the world's finest men-and-boys ensembles, and one can hardly improve on the subtle direction of David Willcocks, Philip Ledger, and Stephen Cleobury, all celebrated in the field of choral conducting. The repertoire will be familiar to most, though it naturally leans toward favorites in the Anglican Church, and the atmosphere around the choir and organ arrangements -- in some cases with brass -- is decidedly ecclesiastical. But this is where many audio problems begin, because the recording of choirs in church settings creates problems in recording set-ups, depending on acoustic conditions, and the choices made by different sound engineers vary widely and can be quite noticeable. The combination of ADD and DDD recordings yields mixed results and makes the album difficult for focused home listening. However, if it is played as background music for parties or other festive gatherings, it will lend a joyous holiday feeling without losing too much effect in the softer tracks.
© TiVo
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Ian Hare, Organ, FeaturedArtist - David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger - Henry John Gauntlett, Composer - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Cecil Frances Alexander, Poet - Arthur Henry Mann, Arranger
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1971, 1997 Parlophone Records Limited
Traditional, Composer - David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger - George Ratcliffe Woodward, Poet - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1969, 1997 Parlophone Records Limited
Frederick Oakeley, Transcriber - Traditional, Composer - Ian Hare, Organ, FeaturedArtist - Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, Ensemble, FeaturedArtist - David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1973, 1994 Parlophone Records Limited
Traditional, Composer - Walford Davies, Arranger - David Willcocks, Conductor - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1971, 1997 Parlophone Records Limited
Felix Mendelssohn, Composer - Ian Hare, Organ, FeaturedArtist - Charles Wesley, Poet - Philip Jones Brass Ensemble, Ensemble, FeaturedArtist - David Willcocks, Conductor - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - William Hayman Cummings, Composer
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1973, 1994 Parlophone Records Limited
Franz Xaver Gruber, Composer - Stephen Varcoe, Baritone Vocals, FeaturedArtist - David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1969, 1997 Parlophone Records Limited
Traditional, Composer - Nahum Tate, Poet - John Wells, Organ, FeaturedArtist - David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1969, 1997 Parlophone Records Limited
Stephen Cleobury, Conductor - Benjamin Bayl, Organ - Harold Darke, Composer - Christina Rossetti, Poet - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Tomas Bullard, Baritone Vocals
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1999 Parlophone Records Limited
Traditional, Composer - Stephen Cleobury, Conductor - Benjamin Bayl, Organ, FeaturedArtist - David Willcocks, Arranger - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1999 Parlophone Records Limited
Stephen Cleobury, Conductor - John Tavener, Composer - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1999 Parlophone Records Limited
Traditional, Composer - Philip Ledger, Conductor, Arranger - James Montgomery, Poet - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1979, 1997 Parlophone Records Limited
Philip Ledger, Conductor - Boris Ord, Composer - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1979, 1997 Parlophone Records Limited
Stephen Varcoe, Baritone Vocals, FeaturedArtist - David Willcocks, Conductor - Peter Cornelius, Composer - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1969, 1997 Parlophone Records Limited
Traditional, Composer - Edgar Pettman, Arranger - David Willcocks, Conductor - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1969, 1997 Parlophone Records Limited
Traditional, Composer - Ian Hare, Organ, FeaturedArtist - David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1971, 1997 Parlophone Records Limited
Traditional, Composer - David Willcocks, Conductor - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1971, 1997 Parlophone Records Limited
Traditional, Composer - David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1969, 1997 Parlophone Records Limited
Traditional, Composer - Philip Ledger, Conductor - Andrew Carter, Arranger, Poet - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Thomas Trotter, Organ, FeaturedArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1979, 1987 Parlophone Records Limited
Traditional, Poet - Philip Ledger, Conductor - Gareth Morrell, Tenor Vocals, FeaturedArtist - Herbert Howells, Composer - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1976, 1997 Parlophone Records Limited
Traditional, Composer - Philip Ledger, Conductor - John Rutter, Arranger - Francis Grier, Organ, FeaturedArtist - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1976, 2004 Parlophone Records Limited
Philip Ledger, Conductor - John Jacob Niles, Composer - Andrew Carter, Arranger - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1981, 1987 Parlophone Records Limited
Traditional, Composer - Philip Ledger, Conductor - David Willcocks, Arranger - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1981, 1987 Parlophone Records Limited
Traditional, Poet - Philip Ledger, Conductor - Francis Grier, Organ, FeaturedArtist - Patrick Hadley, Composer - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1976, 1985 Parlophone Records Limited
Philip Ledger, Conductor - Traditional Basque, Composer - Revd Sabine Baring-Gould, Lyricist - Edgar Pettman, Arranger - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. ℗ 1981 Warner Classics, Warner Music UK Ltd Digital remastering (p) 1987 Warner Classics, Warner Music UK Ltd
Traditional, Composer - Gustav Holst, Arranger - Ian Hare, Organ, FeaturedArtist - David Willcocks, Conductor - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Piae Cantiones, Poet
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1971, 1997 Parlophone Records Limited
DISC 2
Traditional, Composer - Philip Ledger, Conductor, Arranger - Francis Grier, Organ, FeaturedArtist - John Stainer, Arranger - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1976, 1997 Parlophone Records Limited
Traditional, Composer - Philip Ledger, Conductor - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Robert PEARSALL, Arranger
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1976, 1997 Parlophone Records Limited
Traditional, Composer - Philip Ledger, Conductor, Arranger - Francis Grier, Organ, FeaturedArtist - Phillips Brooks, Poet - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1976, 1997 Parlophone Records Limited
Traditional, Composer, Poet - Philip Ledger, Conductor, Arranger - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1976, 1997 Parlophone Records Limited
Traditional, Composer - Arthur Sullivan, Arranger - John Wells, Organ, FeaturedArtist - David Willcocks, Conductor - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1969, 1997 Parlophone Records Limited
Philip Ledger, Conductor, Arranger - William James Kirkpatrick, Composer - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1976, 1997 Parlophone Records Limited
Traditional, Composer - John Wells, Organ, FeaturedArtist - David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1997 Parlophone Records Limited
Traditional, Composer - Ian Hare, Organ - David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1971, 2004 Parlophone Records Limited
Richard Terry, Composer - Ian Hare, Organ, FeaturedArtist - David Willcocks, Conductor - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1971, 2004 Parlophone Records Limited
David Willcocks, Conductor - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Elizabeth Poston, Composer
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1966, 1991 Parlophone Records Limited
Paul Gerhardt, Lyricist - David Willcocks, Conductor - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Johann Georg Ebeling, Composer
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. ℗ 1969, 1991 Warner Classics, Warner Music UK Ltd
Stephen Cleobury, Conductor - Benjamin Bayl, Organ - John Rutter, Composer - Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Poet - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1999 Parlophone Records Limited
Stephen Cleobury, Conductor - Juan del Encina, Poet - Julian Perkins, Baritone Vocals - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Mateo Flecha, Composer
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1999 Parlophone Records Limited
Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Stephen Cleobury, Conductor - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 2000 Parlophone Records Limited
Traditional, Composer, Lyricist - Charles Macpherson, Arranger - David Willcocks, Conductor - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. ℗ 1971, 2004 Warner Classics, Warner Music UK Ltd
Traditional, Composer - Frances Chesterton, Poet - David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1971, 2004 Parlophone Records Limited
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Arranger - Anonymous, Composer - David Willcocks, Conductor - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. ℗ 1971, 2004 Warner Classics, Warner Music UK Ltd
Anonymous, Composer - Philip Ledger, Conductor - George Ratcliffe Woodward, Arranger - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1976, 1997 Parlophone Records Limited
Philip Ledger, Conductor - Thomas Ravenscroft, Composer - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. ℗ 1976, 2004 Warner Classics, Warner Music UK Ltd
Traditional, Composer - Philip Ledger, Conductor, Arranger - John Rutter, Arranger - Robert Chilcott, Tenor Vocals - Francis Grier, Organ - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. ℗ 1976, 2004 Warner Classics, Warner Music UK Ltd
Anonymous, Composer, Lyricist - John Wells, Organ - David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. ℗ 1969 Parlophone Records Limited. Remastered (p) 1991 Parlophone Records Limited, a Warner Music Group Company
Traditional, Composer - David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1971, 2004 Parlophone Records Limited
David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger - George Ratcliffe Woodward, Poet - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Samuel Scheidt, Composer
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1969, 1991 Parlophone Records Limited
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer - David Willcocks, Conductor - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1969, 1991 Parlophone Records Limited
Traditional, Composer - Ian Hare, Organ, FeaturedArtist - David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. A Warner Classics release, ℗ 1971, 2004 Parlophone Records Limited
Album review
Recorded between 1969 and 2004, the 51 selections on Classic Christmas Carols are sacred standards of the holiday, yet presented with such uneven sound quality and unpredictable volume levels that fans of this music may find this EMI double-disc hard to sit through without frequent adjustments. Granted, the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, is one of the world's finest men-and-boys ensembles, and one can hardly improve on the subtle direction of David Willcocks, Philip Ledger, and Stephen Cleobury, all celebrated in the field of choral conducting. The repertoire will be familiar to most, though it naturally leans toward favorites in the Anglican Church, and the atmosphere around the choir and organ arrangements -- in some cases with brass -- is decidedly ecclesiastical. But this is where many audio problems begin, because the recording of choirs in church settings creates problems in recording set-ups, depending on acoustic conditions, and the choices made by different sound engineers vary widely and can be quite noticeable. The combination of ADD and DDD recordings yields mixed results and makes the album difficult for focused home listening. However, if it is played as background music for parties or other festive gatherings, it will lend a joyous holiday feeling without losing too much effect in the softer tracks.
© TiVo
About the album
- 2 disc(s) - 53 track(s)
- Total length: 02:38:17
- Main artists: Choir of King's College, Cambridge
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Warner Classics
- Genre: Classical
© 2007 EMI Records Ltd. ℗ This compilation 2007 by EMI Records Ltd.
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