Best Christmas Carol CD?

[Barbirollians]

Whole-heartedly agreed. It was on Chandos Collect and titled 'On Christmas Night'.

Still around but retitled " Christmas Carols from York Minster . Francis Jackson is 95 according to wikipedia but these were recorded in 1973 and 1976 - lovely straight performances without any overly irritating descants.

[Petrushka]

Still around bur retitled " Christmas Carols from York Minster . Francis Jackson is 95 according to wikipedia but these were recorded in 1973 and 1976 - lovely straight performances without any overly irritating descants.

This is why I so like this one. And as I said above the organ is given plenty of welly. In my view the OP need look no further than this excellent disc.

[Barbirollians]

This is why I so like this one. And as I said above the organ is given plenty of welly. In my view the OP need look no further than this excellent disc.

The Minster's acoustic is lovely too - to this child of the 1970s there is a nostalgic sense of my childhood Christmases of that time about the recording.

[Barbirollians]

Another excellent Carols CD is that recorded by The Sixteen on Coro - completely straight performances gloriously sung in better sound than the York Minster record - but less atmosphere .

[PeterboroughDiapason]

Not best, and not all still available, but old favourites of mine:
Carols from the Temple Church from 1959. Beautiful phrasing from the trebles, superb organ playing from Thalben Ball

Carols from St John's under George Guest from 1974 - nobody in these days of, to my ears, over-sophisticated arrangements and performances gets close to GG for me in getting the spirit of carols

Chrismas at St Albans under Barry Rose - if only for the performances of Hadley's I sing of a maiden and Leighton's Coventry Carol. (I can live without the carols sung by the St Albans Bach Choir): http://www.lammas.co.uk/christmas-st-albans

A Festival of Carols from Westminster Cathedral under Hill - essential Christmas Morning listening for me: http://www.amazon.co.uk/A-Festival-O.../dp/B004CEQFE0

A Christmas Celebration from Winchester under Hill: http://www.amazon.co.uk/A-Festival-O.../dp/B004CEQFE0

[PeterboroughDiapason]

Not best, and not all still available, but old favourites of mine:
Carols from the Temple Church from 1959. Beautiful phrasing from the trebles, superb organ playing from Thalben Ball

Carols from St John's under George Guest from 1974 - nobody in these days of, to my ears, over-sophisticated arrangements and performances gets close to GG for me in getting the spirit of carols

Chrismas at St Albans under Barry Rose - if only for the performances of Hadley's I sing of a maiden and Leighton's Coventry Carol. (I can live without the carols sung by the St Albans Bach Choir): http://www.lammas.co.uk/christmas-st-albans

A Festival of Carols from Westminster Cathedral under Hill - essential Christmas Morning listening for me: http://www.amazon.co.uk/A-Festival-O.../dp/B004CEQFE0

A Christmas Celebration from Winchester under Hill: http://www.amazon.co.uk/A-Festival-O.../dp/B004CEQFE0

Sorry link for the Winchester CD was wrong.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000024TD4/ref=dm_dp_cdp?ie=UTF8&qid=1355438594&s=music&sr=301-1

[teamsaint]

A brilliant Hyperion compilation CD, Christmas Through the Ages, always blasts out through our house on Christmas morn. It's just full of joy and all the performances are A1. It hasn't got GRYMG on it....so maybe it doesn't fit the criteria.

Just picked this up for a couple of quid ,a used copy on Market place.

superb recommendation, Ards.

[Petrushka]

Just bought the latest offering from King's http://www.amazon.co.uk/Favourite-Ca...ols+from+kings but it's still in its plastic wrapping and won't be opened until nearer to Christmas.

Also bought the Praetorius Mass for Christmas Morning that everyone was enthusing over last year and likewise not yet opened http://www.amazon.co.uk/Praetorius-L...istmas+morning

I've got high expectations of both.

[Pulcinella]

The latest BBC Music Magazine offering by The Queen's Six looks interesting, but it too will remain in its shrinkwrapped state for a while.

[underthecountertenor]

I'm still very fond of the Tavener Consort/Parrott Carol Album. Beautifully assembled, and includes an 'authentic' performance of Stille Nacht that really warms the heart.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Carol-Album-Centuries-Christmas/dp/B000002RR4

[CallMePaul]

As a matter of interest, what recordings would other forum members recommend as their definitive "traditional sound of Christmas"?

Gabriel's Greeting by Sinfonye (Helios CDH55151) is an excellent collection of medieval English Christmas music, although some of the tracks are equally suitable for the Annunciation (which also happens to be my birthday!).

[Barbirollians]

A very mixed bag Pulcinella !

[Pulcinella]

A very mixed bag Pulcinella !

Barbs: I assume that this is a comment on the BBC Music Magazine CD (Queen's Six).
At least it isn't the BBC Singers!
Still unwrapped here though.

[Barbirollians]

Barbs: I assume that this is a comment on the BBC Music Magazine CD (Queen's Six).
At least it isn't the BBC Singers!
Still unwrapped here though.

Yes- some of the carols sound very underpowered . The popular songs are ghastly . Whilst the rarer stuff otherwise comes off well .

[MickyD]

Gabriel's Greeting by Sinfonye (Helios CDH55151) is an excellent collection of medieval English Christmas music, although some of the tracks are equally suitable for the Annunciation (which also happens to be my birthday!).

Thanks for this - I must have missed it first time around. I ordered the disc and got it just before Christmas. A lovely collection, and I particularly love the untitled instrumental piece. A great addition to my Christmas music collection.