From William Byrd, Gabriel Faure and Sergei Rachmaninoff to Reena Esmail, Errollyn Wallen and Bob Chilcott, the RBC Chamber Choir presents a richly varied celebration of Christmas choral music, echoing it's popular annual candlelit performances at Compton Verney in Warwickshire. Conducted by Julian Wilkins, the choir captures the warmth, wonder and exhilaration of the Christmas season in a programme spanning five centuries of choral music.

Three CDs. Let the festivities begin with this tremendous collection of 66 timeless Christmas classics from throughout the 1950s-1990s, wrapped up beautifully in this 3CD compilation! Opening with Brenda Lee's 'Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree', CD1 sets a joyous scene with familiar favourites including, Andy Williams with 'It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year', The Crystals with 'Santa Claus Is Coming to Town', Frank Sinatra & The B. Swanson Quartet with, 'Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!' and Bobby Helms with 'Jingle Bell Rock', perfect for a sing-along at a party or whilst you decorate your tree! CD2 kicks things off with Wizzard's sensational perennial favourite, 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday', followed by a fantastic trio of '70s Christmas number ones from Boney M., Johnny Mathis and Mud, as well as the legendary voices of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Louis Armstrong and The Commanders. This disc also showcases much-loved seasonal songs which are not necessarily festive themed from, Boyzone with 'Father And Son', The Flying Pickets with 'Only You' and Frankie Goes To Hollywood with 'The Power Of Love'. Then settle down for the ultimate cosy Christmas evening with the magical soundtrack of CD3, featuring cherished masterpieces including, Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas', Nat King Cole's 'The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)', Ella Fitzgerald's 'O Holy Night', Johnny Cash's 'Little Drummer Boy' and Elvis Presley's 'The First Noel'. This collection is not only the ultimate gift for yourself or loved ones, but the essential soundtrack for all of your festivities!

In the Bleak Midwinter reflects a Christmas that was unlike any other in recent history. Much of the music on this album was heard around the world as part of the 103rd Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, a service that has been broadcast live every year since 1930. But for Christmas Eve 2020, the continuation of this uniquely long-running tradition was not to be. A full service, with lessons, carols, organ voluntaries and prayers, had been recorded in an empty Chapel for use in the event that a live broadcast became impossible, and it was this that was called upon just days before Christmas Eve. For it's millions of listeners, the broadcast meant the continuation of a Christmas tradition in a year when so many were without their friends and family, and without so much of what makes Christmas special. Music from Christmas Eve is supplemented on this album by a selection of specially recorded tracks. It marks not only a moment of light in a time of considerable darkness for so many, but the beginning of a new era for the Choir of King's College under the direction of Daniel Hyde, with this his first full album at King's since his appointment in 2019.

Following the success of their 2023 digital EP, Rutter Orchestral Carols, the Choir of Kings College, Cambridge, releases a new album for Christmas 2025, featuring a selection of arrangements and original works for choir and orchestra under the direction of Daniel Hyde. Recorded in the beloved Chapel of Kings College Cambridge, All the Stars Looked Down sees the choir performing alongside Britten Sinfonia once again, and includes beautiful orchestral arrangements of Christmas carols by John Rutter alongside a selection of both well-loved and lesser-known carols by the great choral composers who have influenced him, including Philip Ledger, David Willcocks and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Woven throughout the album are works that are especially meaningful to the Choir and it's community and the albums title track, John Rutters All the Stars Looked Down, is dedicated to the late Sir Stephen Cleobury.

Includes concerto(s) by various composers. Ensemble: London Festival Orchestra. Conductor: Ross Pople.
Includes work(s) by various composers, Gregor Joseph Werner. Ensembles: London Festival Orchestra, National Philharmonic Orchestra, Musica Sacra, Canadian Brass. Conductors: Ross Pople, Martin Neary, Richard Westenburg. Soloists: Ayako Shinozaki, Richard Stoltzman, Eddie Gomez (double bass), Dave Samuels, Jeremy Wall, Emily Mitchell, Café (percussion), Bill Douglas, Michala Petri.

What's not to like? Here we have one of Eugene Ormandy's classic accounts of the Nutcracker Suite, followed by a transcription for the Modern Mandolin Quartet that sounds surprisingly attractive, all things considered. Then the fun really starts with Spike Jones' demented take on the story, full of his trademark sound effects and madcap humor. Capping it all off are two 1940s arrangements for four pianos of the Dance of the Reed Flutes and the Waltz of the Flowers. Obviously the recording quality varies widely (even the Ormandy doesn't compare to today's best), but that's not really the point. What you get is a sort of trip down memory lane with this ever-popular music--and more to the point, the arrangements are sufficiently distinctive to justify wanting to listen to the entire disc at a sitting. As a special holiday treat that gives you much more than just another Nutcracker, you simply can't go wrong. Charming and fun! --David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

"This charming recording combines traditional plainchant elements with a setting of the Mass to French carol tunes, arranged in Baroque polyphony by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, a prolific and intriguing composer of church music...All is well and tastefully done by the Virgin Consort, directed by Kyler Brown."

-- Sarah Bryan Miller, New York Times [101996]

This selection contains both AAD and DDD recordings.
Christmastime is a season made for familiar traditions: food, decorations, and music. This collection of seasonal favorites is an anthology of some of the world's most popular performers. From legendary pops conductor Arthur Fiedler to the voice of Mario Lanza, these are artists recognized in homes across the country.
Timeless classics such as Morton Gould and the RCA Symphony Orchestra's 'Jingle Bells' and Robert Shaw Chorale's 'Deck the Halls' are the epitome of Christmas cheer. Performed with crowd-pleasing flair, the music is equally at home as the centerpiece of a listening experience, or in the background of a family gathering. So pleasant, so familiar, everyone will recognize this music.
As important to the holidays as a warm hearth in the home, these songs are seasonal essentials.

1. Overture
2. March of the Kings
3. Bourrée en Étoile
4. Traveller's Prayer
5. Le Grand Lustukru
6. Nöel Nouvelet
7. Guillô, Pran ton Tamborin!
8. Aro Que Nostre Seigne Es Nat
9. Muwashah Jalla Men Qad Sawarak
10. Darj Bayyati
11. Stella Splendens
12. Gaudete
13. Veni, Veni Emanuel
14. The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came
15. What Shall I Give to the Child?
16. L'Homme Armé
17. Riu Riu Chiu
18. Bourrée Chainee de Rivarennes
19. Le Sommeil de l'Enfant Jésus
20. Amen
21. Sing We Noel

Perfect for the holidays: listening to this recording is like being in Wales for Christmas! With traditional music, dance tunes, carols, and anthems from Wales, this recording features a number of Welsh children's songs, Welsh songs that the poet Dylan Thomas would have known, and songs from long, long ago.