trad.: Angels from the Realms Of Glory

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.

Heavenly voices raised in honour of the Christmas season. Inspirational choral music for Christmas from one of England's finest choirs in a programme chosen from some of the greatest church music of the past. This diverse programme brings together many musical styles and traditions, from the clarity and precision of medieval carols to the emotional intensity of choral music for the Russian Orthodox church. The music varies from quiet, still pieces to huge, exciting crescendos of sound.

The music on this CD spans from Gregorian Chant through renaissance polyphony to the present, and includes two masses recently written for the choir and Abbey, Missa Beata Virgine by John Sanders and Mass for Douai Abbey by Colin Mawby. This was Mawby’s last work before he died. Both works involve both plainchant and choral sections.

Mardi Brass take a break from their 4-CD series “Something Old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” (3 CDs out on LIR, final volume due out next year) and present their own take on popular Christmas carols, with the dynamic King’s Lynn Festival Chorus, under the baton of Tom Appleton. This recording includes a premiere of “See Christmas All Around us Shine” written by Ed Maxwell, alongside their own quirky and lively arrangements of well-known classics.

Mardi Brass is a versatile and dynamic brass quintet which performs music in a plethora of musical styles spanning six centuries. Since its founding in 1992, the group has performed throughout Britain, thrilling audiences with its blend of music and humour. Performance venues have included London’s Purcell Room and the Edinburgh Fringe; the group has also appeared on BBC1, BBC2, and numerous radio stations.

King’s Lynn Festival Chorus, under the direction of Tom Appleton and assisted by pianist and composer John Byron, is one of the UK’s most talented and dynamic community choirs. As well as being resident choir for the prestigious King’s Lynn Festival, it performs concerts throughout the year to large audiences in King’s Lynn and beyond.

Following a poll conducted by Classic FM to find the nation’s favourite traditional Christmas music, the station has specially commissioned Silent Nights, a wonderful collection of well-known Christmas music, beautifully arranged for piano and strings by renowned contemporary composer Nigel Hess. Brand new for 2010, this stunning album includes tranquil favourites ‘Away In A Manger’ and ‘Silent Night’, and more celebratory pieces ‘Hark The Herald Angels Sing’ and ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’. Nigel plays the piano himself, in a rare opportunity to hear the composer play, and is accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s string section. Since Christmas can be a frantic time, the album is the perfect antidote to the busy December period.

Silent Nights is peaceful, tranquil, and reflective music, with timeless melodies that evoke memories of childhood, family, and the warmth of home.

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.