With a TV and radio audience of millions, the annual broadcast of carols from King’s College, Cambridge is an essential Christmas tradition for families all over the world. The debut album from the choir’s own label features a specially recorded performance of their glorious 'Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols', and includes many of the most well-known Christmas carols as well as new commissions from some of today’s most popular composers.

The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge is one of the world’s foremost choirs and unquestionably among the most widely heard. It owes its existence to King Henry VI, who envisaged the daily singing of services in his magnificent chapel. This remains the Choir’s raison d’être, and is an important part of the lives of its 16 choristers, who are educated at King’s College School, and the 14 choral scholars and two organ scholars, who study a variety of subjects in the College. The Choir has been a breeding ground for numerous professional singers, many of whom will appear on forthcoming recordings from the new label.

The Choir has a rich recording heritage, having appeared on many albums for both Decca and EMI Classics. The Choir’s recording of Rutter’s 'Gloria' has sold in excess of 100,000 units globally and its previous albums of Christmas music have sold in millions.

This double album faithfully recreates the magic of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, opening with a lone treble singing 'Once in royal David’s city' and closing with a rousing chorus of 'Hark! the herald angels sing'.

Each year, the Choir’s Director of Music, Stephen Cleobury, commissions a new carol, several of which are included on the album, including carols by Einojuhani Rautavaara, Gabriel Jackson, Brett Dean, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Dominic Muldowney and Tansy Davies. In addition, John Rutter was commissioned to write the new carol 'All bells in paradise' especially for this album.

Contents:
CD 1
1. Hymn: Once in royal David’s city
2. Bidding Prayer
3. Herefordshire Carol – Traditional, arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams
4. First Lesson
5. Adam lay ybounden – Boris Ord
6. A Virgin most pure – Traditional, arr. Stephen Cleobury
7. Second Lesson
8. In dulci jubilo – German Traditional, arr. Robert Lucas de Pearsall
9. If ye would hear the angels sing – Peter Tranchell
10. Third Lesson
11. Sussex Carol – English Traditional, arr. Philip Ledger
12. Hymn: God rest you merry, gentlemen
13. Fourth Lesson
14. A tender shoot – Otto Goldschmidt
15. Det är en ros utsprungen – Michael Praetorius, arr. Jan Sandström
16. Fifth Lesson
17. Hymne à la Vierge – Pierre Villette
18. Sunny bank – Peter Hurford
19. Sixth Lesson
20. Mariä Wiegenlied – Max Reger
21. The holly and the ivy – French Traditional, arr. June Nixon

CD 2
1. Seventh Lesson
2. Hymn: While shepherds watched
3. Illuminare, Jerusalem – Judith Weir
4. Eighth Lesson
5. Christmas Carol – Einojuhani Rautavaara
6. Ding! Dong! merrily on high – XVI Century French, arr. Mack Wilberg
7. Ninth Lesson
8. Hymn: O come, all ye faithful
9. Collect and Blessing
10. Hymn: Hark! the herald angels sing
11. Voluntary: In dulci jubilo – Johann Sebastian Bach
12. The Christ Child – Gabriel Jackson
13. Now comes the dawn – Brett Dean
14. Misere’ nobis – Mark-Anthony Turnage
15. Mary – Dominic Muldowney
16. Christmas Eve – Tansy Davies
17. All bells in paradise – John Rutter