… some seasonal musical favourites.
I’ll admit to engineering my choice of topic to fit today’s letter. It’s a tricky one! So, to misquote Sesame Street, today’s Advent ABC is brought to you by the letter R* for:
– Ralph Vaughan Williams: I just love his Fantasia on Christmas Carols ; I’m listening to it right now as I blog.
and
– John Rutter: Here’s his Nativity Carol sung by the choir of King’s College, Cambridge. Yes, I know they’ve featured largely in this ABC and for this I make no apology; Christmas isn’t Christmas without carols from Kings. And whilst we’re on the subject, a hearty thanks to all the Cathedral, Parish, community choirs and choral societies who work so hard over the Advent and Christmas holiday season to bring us such wonderful music.
Do you have a favourite carol or piece of Christmas holiday music? Do share in the comments.
* Count yourself lucky; at first all I could come up with was Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Ring out Solstice Bells!
O come all ye faithful ….
With the descant?
Always always Benjamin Britten Ceremony of Carol
And the O Antiphons
I love Ceremony of Carols. “This Little Babe” is my favourite. We performed the whole work several times at school. Ah- memories!