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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.

Volume I of Traditional Christmas Carols broke iTunes’ record for the most downloads of a classical album and remains one of The Sixteen’s most popular discs. This brand new recording contains more festive delights.

There is such an abundance of festive music available to us that sometimes one wishes Christmas did not come but once a year! The Sixteen’s first volume of traditional Christmas carols contains some of our most favourite pieces but there is so much more wonderful festive music that deserves to be better known. So we decided to make a second volume. On this disc you will discover familiar seasonal favourites such as ‘Unto us a boy is born’ and ‘It came upon the midnight clear’ but we have also included some less well-know gems like ‘Cherry Tree Carol’ and ‘Gloucestershire Wassail’.

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.

Here is a beautiful new recording exploring the music and themes of Advent, including some well-known carols and antiphons alongside some newer, less frequently heard pieces. An ideal present!

The Choir of Queens’ College, Cambridge is well known in the UK, singing three times a week at services in Queens’ College Chapel. They also travel abroad outside the academic term, with recent tours to Hong Kong, USA, France, Germany, Italy and Belgium.

Silas Wollston, their director, has been principal continuo player and assistant conductor to Sir John Eliot Gardiner since 1999 and has a versatile and varied career as researcher, performer and composer.

The King’s School has its roots in the sixth century and its pupils live and work within the inspirational and ancient Precincts of Canterbury Cathedral and the grounds of St Augustine’s Abbey. Music has played a central role in the school’s life from its monastic foundations. The Crypt Choir, under the direction of Howard Ionascu, is the school’s senior choir. Its primary purpose is to provide music for weekly School services in Canterbury Cathedral, where the King’s School is part of the Foundation.

The choir also performs at outside venues, most recently St Paul’s, Knightsbridge, The Temple Church, St John’s, Smith Square and Westminster Abbey. It has toured extensively, including a number of European countries, New York, Boston, New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong. The Choir reached the final stage of the 2005 BBC Choir of the Year at the Lowry Centre in Salford. In July of that year the Choir was invited to perform Tallis’ Spem in alium alongside The Sixteen and Harry Christophers in Canterbury Cathedral. The Choir has been particularly active in performing contemporary music.

It has performed in the Sounds New Festivals, featuring works by James Macmillan, Paul Patterson and Gabriel Jackson. In December 2005 it gave the first performance of a commission by Howard Goodall, Of the dark past, in Canterbury Cathedral.

Mark Waddell’s “Rocking” included here was specially written for these choristers for this CD. Like David Hill’s arrangement of “Away in a manger”, it demonstrates the power of a good tune in the hands of a skilful arranger. This is one of the most respected Cathedral choirs in the country.

A collection of well-loved traditional Carols performed by the critically-acclaimed Truro Cathedral Choir, directed by Robert Sharpe.

Features all the Carols regularly sung at Truro Cathedral’s Nine Lessons and Carols and Midnight Mass services.

First recordings of two new carols by leading British composers Gabriel Jackson and Howard Skempton, commissioned by Truro Cathedral.

Includes Regent producer Gary Cole’s blues-inspired arrangement of Away in a Manger.