The Advent Carol Services held in the Chapel at King’s College London are undoubtedly one of the highlights of the academic year. Over the years the format has varied slightly, most notably with the addition of the Great Advent ‘O’ Antiphons that precede the Magnificat at Vespers for the week before Christmas, together with an eighth specific to the Sarum rite. Starting with O Sapientia (‘O Wisdom’), these form the backbone of this recording, dividing it into eight sections, with each antiphon followed by one of the eight programmatic viol fantasias by Michael East and then a choral piece. The disc is released as part of the College’s 175th anniversary celebrations.
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