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The two-disc Essential Carols: The Very Best of King's College Choir, Cambridge, finally puts much of the Choir's and conductor David Willcocks' recordings of traditional holiday music into one package. This music is what made the Choir famous, and, since the beginning of the compact disc era, has been available scattered over various compilations. For those who are serious about Christmas music, this album really is an essential. Although the recordings date from the early '60s, they still stand as a benchmark for later albums of similar music by other choirs. These are familiar English carols (plus a few adopted into the English tradition), music that would be used in services or other church-related events, sung a cappella or with organ accompaniment as they would be for those proceedings. The one exception is the final Fantasia on Christmas Carols, by Ralph Vaughan Williams, performed with the London Symphony Orchestra. Because the Choir sings for services daily, there is a reverence for the meaning and spirit of the music that isn't always found in holiday music collections. There is also a warmth in and a care for its ensemble work that represents a high level of musicianship from men and boys who are not necessarily studying to become professional musicians. This isn't something anyone would learn from the liner notes. All that Decca chose to put in the booklet was a track listing, as it would for a regular compilation album, which is something of a slight to Willcocks, the Choir, and the music, but at least these recordings are widely accessible again.
© TiVo
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Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Felix Mendelssohn, Composer - Charles Wesley, Author - Michael Bremner, Producer - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Sir Andrew Davis, Organ, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - George Whitefield, Author - Kenneth Wilkinson, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1965 Decca Music Group Limited
Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger, Work Arranger, MainArtist - Anonymous, ComposerLyricist - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
℗ 1961 Decca Music Group Limited
Simon Preston, Organ, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Anonymous, Composer - Nahum Tate, Author - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
℗ 1959 Decca Music Group Limited
Simon Preston, Organ, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger, Work Arranger, MainArtist - Anonymous, ComposerLyricist - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Kenneth Wilkinson, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Harley Usill, Producer, Recording Producer
℗ 1959 Decca Music Group Limited
Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Anonymous, Composer - Charles Wood, Arranger, Work Arranger - George Ratcliffe Woodward, Author - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Andrew Raeburn, Producer - Kenneth Wilkinson, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1962 Decca Music Group Limited
Sir David Willcocks, Musical Director, MainArtist - Anonymous, ComposerLyricist - Charles Wood, Arranger, Work Arranger - George Ratcliffe Woodward, Translator - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Kenneth Wilkinson, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1961 Decca Music Group Limited
Traditional, ComposerLyricist - Simon Preston, Organ, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Robert Lucas Pearsall, Arranger, Work Arranger - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Kenneth Wilkinson, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Harley Usill, Producer, Recording Producer
℗ 1959 Decca Music Group Limited
Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger, Work Arranger, MainArtist - Anonymous, ComposerLyricist - George Ratcliffe Woodward, Translator - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
℗ 1961 Decca Music Group Limited
Frederick Oakeley, Translator - Traditional, Author - Simon Preston, Organ, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - John Francis Wade, Composer - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Kenneth Wilkinson, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Harley Usill, Producer, Recording Producer
℗ 1959 Decca Music Group Limited
Simon Preston, Organ, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger, Work Arranger, MainArtist - Anonymous, Author - William J. Kirkpatrick, Composer - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
℗ 1959 Decca Music Group Limited
Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Ralph Vaughan Williams, Arranger, Work Arranger - Anonymous, Composer - Phillips Brooks, Author - Michael Bremner, Producer - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Sir Andrew Davis, Organ, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Thomas Armstrong, Arranger, Work Arranger - Kenneth Wilkinson, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1965 Decca Music Group Limited
Traditional, ComposerLyricist - Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Walford Davies, Arranger, Work Arranger - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
℗ 1961 Decca Music Group Limited
Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger, Work Arranger, MainArtist - Anonymous, ComposerLyricist - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
℗ 1960 Decca Music Group Limited
Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger, Work Arranger, MainArtist - John Goss, Composer - Edward Caswall, Author - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Andrew Raeburn, Producer - Kenneth Wilkinson, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1962 Decca Music Group Limited
Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger, Work Arranger, MainArtist - Anonymous, Composer - George Ratcliffe Woodward, Author - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
℗ 1961 Decca Music Group Limited
Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 - Sung in English (Johann Sebastian Bach)
Simon Preston, Organ, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Christian Friedrich Henrici, Author - Jonathan Stokes, Immersive Mix Engineer
℗ 1959 Decca Music Group Limited
Simon Preston, Organ, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Anonymous, Author - Boris Ord, Composer - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
℗ 1959 Decca Music Group Limited
Simon Preston, Organ, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger, Work Arranger, MainArtist - Anonymous, Composer - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Sabine Baring-Gould, Author
℗ 1959 Decca Music Group Limited
DISC 2
Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Michael Bremner, Producer - Henry John Gauntlett, Composer - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Sir Andrew Davis, Organ, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Cecil Frances Alexander, Author - Arthur Henry Mann, Arranger, Work Arranger - Kenneth Wilkinson, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1965 Decca Music Group Limited
Traditional, ComposerLyricist - Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger, Work Arranger, MainArtist - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
℗ 1960 Decca Music Group Limited
Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger, Work Arranger, MainArtist - Anonymous, Composer - Percy Dearmer, Author - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
℗ 1960 Decca Music Group Limited
Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Anonymous, ComposerLyricist - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
℗ 1960 Decca Music Group Limited
Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Anonymous, ComposerLyricist - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Kenneth Wilkinson, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Martin Edward Fallas Shaw, Arranger, Work Arranger
℗ 1961 Decca Music Group Limited
Traditional, Author - Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Peter Cornelius, Composer - Ivor Atkins, Arranger, Work Arranger - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - H.N. Bate, Translator
℗ 1965 Decca Music Group Limited
Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger, Work Arranger, MainArtist - Michael Bremner, Producer - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - William Chatterton Dix, Author - Konrad Kocher, Composer - Kenneth Wilkinson, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1965 Decca Music Group Limited
Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Michael Praetorius, Composer - John Mason Neale, Translator - Michael Bremner, Producer - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - St. Germanus, Author - Kenneth Wilkinson, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1965 Decca Music Group Limited
Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Anonymous, Composer - Edgar Pettman, Arranger, Work Arranger - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Sabine Baring-Gould, Author
℗ 1963 Decca Music Group Limited
Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Anonymous, Author - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Peter Warlock, Composer
℗ 1963 Decca Music Group Limited
Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Composer - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Geoffrey Dearmer, Translator - Alexey Nikolayevitch Pleshcheyev, Author
℗ 1963 Decca Music Group Limited
Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Anonymous, ComposerLyricist - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist
℗ 1963 Decca Music Group Limited
Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, Arranger, Work Arranger, MainArtist - Anonymous, Composer - George Ratcliffe Woodward, Author - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Andrew Raeburn, Producer - Kenneth Wilkinson, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1962 Decca Music Group Limited
Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Anonymous, ComposerLyricist - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Geoffrey Shaw, Arranger, Work Arranger - Andrew Raeburn, Producer - Kenneth Wilkinson, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1962 Decca Music Group Limited
Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Anonymous, Composer - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Andrew Raeburn, Producer - Kenneth Wilkinson, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Richard R. Terry, Arranger, Work Arranger
℗ 1962 Decca Music Group Limited
Gustav Holst, Arranger, Work Arranger - Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Anonymous, ComposerLyricist - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Andrew Raeburn, Producer - Kenneth Wilkinson, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1962 Decca Music Group Limited
Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Harold Darke, Composer - Christina Rossetti, Author - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Andrew Raeburn, Producer - Kenneth Wilkinson, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1962 Decca Music Group Limited
Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Anonymous, ComposerLyricist - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Andrew Raeburn, Producer - Kenneth Wilkinson, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Martin Edward Fallas Shaw, Arranger, Work Arranger
℗ 1962 Decca Music Group Limited
Traditional, ComposerLyricist - Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Charles Wood, Arranger, Work Arranger - George Ratcliffe Woodward, Author - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Andrew Raeburn, Producer - Kenneth Wilkinson, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1962 Decca Music Group Limited
Traditional, Author - Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - John Joubert, Composer - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Andrew Raeburn, Producer - Kenneth Wilkinson, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel - John Brande Trend, Translator
℗ 1962 Decca Music Group Limited
Sir David Willcocks, Conductor, MainArtist - Ralph Vaughan Williams, Composer - London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Choir of King's College, Cambridge, Choir, MainArtist - Hervey Alan, Bass-Baritone, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Andrew Raeburn, Producer - Kenneth Wilkinson, Balance Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 1962 Decca Music Group Limited
Album review
The two-disc Essential Carols: The Very Best of King's College Choir, Cambridge, finally puts much of the Choir's and conductor David Willcocks' recordings of traditional holiday music into one package. This music is what made the Choir famous, and, since the beginning of the compact disc era, has been available scattered over various compilations. For those who are serious about Christmas music, this album really is an essential. Although the recordings date from the early '60s, they still stand as a benchmark for later albums of similar music by other choirs. These are familiar English carols (plus a few adopted into the English tradition), music that would be used in services or other church-related events, sung a cappella or with organ accompaniment as they would be for those proceedings. The one exception is the final Fantasia on Christmas Carols, by Ralph Vaughan Williams, performed with the London Symphony Orchestra. Because the Choir sings for services daily, there is a reverence for the meaning and spirit of the music that isn't always found in holiday music collections. There is also a warmth in and a care for its ensemble work that represents a high level of musicianship from men and boys who are not necessarily studying to become professional musicians. This isn't something anyone would learn from the liner notes. All that Decca chose to put in the booklet was a track listing, as it would for a regular compilation album, which is something of a slight to Willcocks, the Choir, and the music, but at least these recordings are widely accessible again.
© TiVo
About the album
- 2 disc(s) - 39 track(s)
- Total length: 01:58:59
- Main artists: Choir of King's College, Cambridge
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Decca Music Group Ltd.
- Genre: Classical
© 2011 Decca Music Group Limited This Compilation ℗ 2011 Decca Music Group Limited
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