We celebrate the build-up to the festive season with a programme of mainly English choral music.  Carolling is an ancient tradition in Britain as we illustrate in the Coventry Carol, which dates back to a pageant originating in 1392, and the chant ‘Past three a clock’, recorded in Samuel Pepys’ seventeenth century diary, and harmonised by the Irish composer Charles Wood (Herbert Howell’s teacher). 

Much of this choral tradition was consolidated in the twentieth century by English composers and we illustrate these with carols by Gustav Holst, Herbert Howells, William Walton, Peter Warlock, David Willcocks and Elizabeth Poston.

We include works by three contemporary composers: Cecilia McDowall, Herbert Howells’ pupil Alex Bullard and Joanna Forbes L’Estrange.

These English carols are complemented by three longer devotional pieces by the Americans Randall Thompson (Leonard Bernstein’s teacher), Morten Lauridsen and Eric Whitacre. Perfect preparation for Christmas!