Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on Christmas Carols

Choirs and orchestras join for a beautiful celebration of 20th-century British Christmas favourites recorded in sumptuous Argo sound. Book-ended by two perennial favourites – Vaughan Williams’s Fantasia on Christmas Carols and Finzi’s In terra pax – this collection explores the subtle and radiant music of Howells, Warlock, Ireland and Holst, and includes an orchestral number popularized by Beecham, Delius’s Sleigh Ride. A magical Christmas journey!

The first commercial release on Regent of the Worcester Cathedral Chamber choir.

Recorded in the historic Worcester Cathedral, this collection of Christmas music draws on some of the best-known composers in 20th century music, including Benjamin Britten and Ralph Vaughan-Williams.

The collection also includes the first recordings of two carols by Bristol composer Steven Kings and is the first choral recording using the recently installed Kenneth Tickell Quire Organ.

Since the death of Leopold Stokowski in 1976 his reputation has soared among collectors with the issue and reissue of many performances conducted by him. Many of these have been of the great orchestral masterpieces, but this exciting new release is made up entirely of short, mainly American, pieces of music from the lighter part of the repertoire, all performed by the NBC Symphony Orchestra during World War II. Many of these tracks have never been issued before, and we are therefore proud to present to the public for the first time a collection such as this, with the sound enhanced according to the latest techniques. A 'must' for all Stokowski admirers, for all students of great conducting and for all lovers of light music.