Mendelssohn: Hark! the herald angels sing

With a TV and radio audience of millions, the annual broadcast of carols from King’s College, Cambridge is an essential Christmas tradition for families all over the world. The debut album from the choir’s own label features a specially recorded performance of their glorious 'Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols', and includes many of the most well-known Christmas carols as well as new commissions from some of today’s most popular composers.

The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge is one of the world’s foremost choirs and unquestionably among the most widely heard. It owes its existence to King Henry VI, who envisaged the daily singing of services in his magnificent chapel. This remains the Choir’s raison d’être, and is an important part of the lives of its 16 choristers, who are educated at King’s College School, and the 14 choral scholars and two organ scholars, who study a variety of subjects in the College. The Choir has been a breeding ground for numerous professional singers, many of whom will appear on forthcoming recordings from the new label.

The Choir has a rich recording heritage, having appeared on many albums for both Decca and EMI Classics. The Choir’s recording of Rutter’s 'Gloria' has sold in excess of 100,000 units globally and its previous albums of Christmas music have sold in millions.

This double album faithfully recreates the magic of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, opening with a lone treble singing 'Once in royal David’s city' and closing with a rousing chorus of 'Hark! the herald angels sing'. Each year, the Choir’s Director of Music Stephen Cleobury commissions a new carol, several of which are included on the album, including carols by Einojuhani Rautavaara, Gabriel Jackson, Brett Dean, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Dominic Muldowney and Tansy Davies. In addition, John Rutter was commissioned to write the new carol 'All bells in paradise' especially for this album.

The Colours of Christmas is a collection of the greatest Christmas carols by the composer/conductor whose music has, for many, been so associated with Christmas. Featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and The Bach Choir, with guest artists Over the Bridge and conducted by Rutter himself.

The Colours of Christmas (track 2 from the album) is a newly composed carol by Rutter for this new album, and is testament to the very best of Rutter’s music. Newly orchestrated for this album are the carols Ding Dong Merrily On High and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. All recordings on this album are brand new.

Bill Ives leads the famed Choir of Magdalen College in this selection of choral favourites for Advent & Christmas. The music on this CD ranges from quiet reflection and anticipation to the excitement and celebration of the birth of Jesus and the coming of the Wise Men.

Bill Ives leads the famed Choir of Magdalen College Choir in this selection of choral favorites for Advent and Christmas.The music on this recording ranges from quiet reflection and anticipation to the excitement and celebration of the birth of Jesus and the coming of the Wise Men. Magdalen College is one of the oldest choral foundations in England, with an unbroken tradition stretching back to 1480.The Choir retains much the same shape as it had in the 15th-century, with 16 boy Choristers (educated at Magdalen College School) and 12 adult Academical Clerks (undergraduates of the College).

The 2008 Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, recorded live by BBC Radio 3 in "the magnificent recording studio that is King’s College Chapel.” The service marked the 80th anniversary of its first BBC broadcast and the start of a year-long celebration of the 800th anniversary of Cambridge University.

No living composer has come to be more closely associated with Christmas than John Rutter: for more than thirty years, his carols and other seasonal choral music have been an indispensable feature of Christmas celebrations worldwide. Inspired by the success of his much-loved annual Christmas concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, this major new recording, for release in November 2008, features première recordings of over a dozen brand new compositions and arrangements for Christmas by John Rutter, together with his own personal selection of seasonal choral and orchestral favourites by other composers. Recorded in the splendid setting of London’s Cadogan Hall, this is the first all-new Christmas release from Rutter’s celebrated Cambridge Singers for 20 years, and the first ever to feature the glorious sound of full symphony orchestra and organ.