The Twelve Days of Christmas CD Set

Treasured music of the season cheers your heart in this joyous three-disc collection. Disc 1: Beloved carols such as "Here We Come a Wassailing," and "What Child Is This?" Disc 2: Victorian favorites, from "O Come All Ye Faithful," to Landlord Fill the Flowing Bowl." Disc 3: Holiday classics your whole family will enjoy, including Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" and Nat "King" Cole's "Frosty the Snowman." 67 tracks.

The Twelve Days of Christmas
The Cherwell Singers
Directed by Julie Craig-McFeely
With Martin Souter, Organ

1 The first Nowell Traditional
2 Good Christian men, rejoice Traditional
3 Here we come awassailing Traditional
4 See amid the winter's snow J Goss
5 O little town of Bethlehem arranged Julia Craig-McFeely
6 Lord Christ, the only Son of God J S Bach
7 'Twas in the winter cold J Barnby
8 The Virgin stills the crying J Barnby
9 The Coventry Carol arranged J Stainer
10 O come, all ye faithful arranged Julia Craig-McFeely
11 The holly and the ivy arranged Julia Craig-McFeely
12 Good King Wenceslas
13 Pastoral Symphony - Messiah G F Handel arranged M Souter
14 We three Kings J H Hopkins
15 A child this day arranged J Stainer
16 God rest you, merry gentlemen arranged J Stainer
17 Dearest Jesus, we are here J S Bach
18 What Child is this? Traditional
19 The seven joys of Mary arranged J Stainer
20 The twelve days of Christmas arranged Julia Craig-McFeely

A collection of favourite carols and songs with a Victorian flavour

Most of the carols on this recording come from 'Carols New and Old', a charming collection of Christmas music published by the Oxford organist, John Stainer, in 1871. The remainder are from a nineteenth-century hymn book, though the descants added to the last verse are specially composed by the director of the Cherwell Sings, Julia Craig-McFeely. She is also the creator of the brilliant arrangements of 'The Holly and the Ivy' and 'The Twelve Days of Christmas'.

Frosty the Snowman

Winter songs for the Christmas season

Christmas sing-along songs - perfect for the car! A mixture of favourite Christmas tunes from the past which all the family will know and enjoy. Mistletoe, Jingle Bells, Santa - and Frosty, of course!

Original artists
1 Nat 'King' Cole Frosty the Snowman
2 Judy Garland Have yourself a merry little Christmas
3 The Andrew Sisters Christmas Island
4 Bing Crosby Twelve days of Christmas
5 The Squadronaires Winter Wonderland
6 Bing Crosby Here comes Santa
7 Bing Crosby White Christmas
8 Archie Lewis Silent night, holy night
9 Perry Como There is no Christmas like a home Christmas
10 Nat 'King' Cole The Christmas Song
11 Dick Haymes O little town of Bethlehem
12 The Squadronaires Picnic in the snow
13 Dick Haymes Joy to the world
14 Celebrity Quartet Hark, the herald angels sing
15 Royal Choral Society God rest ye, merry gentlemen
16 Bing Crosby Jingle bells
17 Anne Shelton Away in a manger
18 Primo Scala Mistletoe kiss
19 Gracie Fields Christmas Love
20 Cyril Grantham I'm sending a letter to Santa Claus
21 The Fleet Street Choir While Shepherds Watched
22 Deanna Durbin O come, all ye faithful
23 Bing Crosby Santa Claus is coming to town

Christmas comes at a time when the weather is, generally, at its coldest and most uninviting, yet for millions of us around the world, it is a season full of warmth. The traditional images of Christmas play their part - the welcoming open fire with the Yule log crackling away and the plum pudding ablaze with brandy - but its true essence lies in the feelings of togetherness that we share with our family, friends and fellow human beings. It is a joyous time, a time for giving and receiving presents, for sharing and joining in a spirit of peace, renewed hope and reconciliation.

Music has always played an important part in Christmas celebrations with carols lying at its heart. Popular songs are now a vital element and their predominantly secular content contrasts with the religious messages that are found in carols. Music provides its own memories and is there waiting to be tapped into our personal banks of nostalgia. So we invite you to enter the world of Christmases past and reacquaint yourselves with the stars of yesteryear and their unforgettable recordings of seasonal favourites that brightened our lives in a time that was much more innocent and far less hurried. Here is music which will appeal to young and old alike, with voices and tunes which will be familiar to many people. The album gives us an opportunity to 'put a name to that singer' and to keep alive the beautiful popular Christmas music of the past.

Two cheerful songs from the late 1940s in two cherished recordings are what 'Frosty the Snowman' and 'Christmas Island' share. The former, our title track, was written by Jack Rollins and Steve Nelson, and is given an affectionate rendition by Nat King Cole and the latter, composed by Lyle Moraine, features a very famous group of the period, The Andrews Sisters, who sing this number with humour and charm.

For many of us, young and old, Christmas would not be Christmas without Bing Crosby. He, after all, gave us one of the greatest and most timeless of all Christmas favourites 'White Christmas'. Bing introduced this Irving Berlin classic in the 1942 film 'Holiday Inn' and to date it has sold well over 42 million copies. It remains just as fresh and charming today. Bing's partnership with The Andrews Sisters resulted in a string of melodically rich and high-spirited recordings in the 1940s. They are clearly enjoying themselves in four perennial favourites. 'Santa Claus is coming to town' was written in 1932 by Haven Gillespie and one J. Fred Coots, veteran composer for Broadway and the legendary Cotton Club revues. An American schoolteacher, James S Pierpoint, wrote 'Jingle Bells' in 1857 for a Sunday school entertainment. For youngsters at that time, one of their happiest activities was 'riding in a one horse sleigh' (the tune's original title). Gene Autry, a familiar name from 'Westerns' co-wrote the superb song 'Here comes Santa Claus' in 1947.

Many other old favourites can be heard here - we hope you enjoy them and we wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Carols for a Victorian Christmas

Christmas Songs and Music from Victorian England

The Victorians almost re-invented Christmas trees and carol singing after decades of neglect of our major festival. This recording assembles a variety of Victorian Christmas music from the sounds of street musicians to drawing room songs, from Polyphons and organs to bells and church choirs.

1 Church Bells
2 God rest you, merry gentlemen
The choir of Magdalen College, Oxford
3 Twas in the winter cold
The choir of Magdalen College, Oxford
4 Cantique de Noël - Adam
Martin Souter
5 The Mistletoe Bow
Polyphon 19 5/8" disc player, Leipzig 1898
6 O little town of Bethlehem
Fine Arts Brass
7 What shall we sing at Christmas?
Lesley Echo Ross, Jozik Koc, Martin Souter
8 Hark the herald angels sing
Regina disc player 15 ½", USA early 20th century
9 The Song of the Robin Redbreast
Lesley Echo Ross, Martin Souter
10 In dulci jubilo - F Liszt
Martin Souter
11 We three Kings of Orient are
The choir of Magdalen College, Oxford
12 See amid the winter's snow
The choir of Magdalen College, Oxford
13 Sleep, Holy babe
The choir of Magdalen College, Oxford
14 Es ist ein Ros - J Brahms
Martin Souter
15 Good King Wenceslas
Regina 15 ½" disc player, USA, early 20th century
16 Jesu, joy of man's desiring - JS Bach
Fine arts Brass Ensemble
17 The Wassail Song
The choir of Magdalen College, Oxford
18 Landlord fill the flowing bowl
Fine Arts Brass
19 Good Christian men rejoice
The choir of Magdalen College, Oxford
20 O come all ye faithful
Polyphon 14 ½" disc player with 12 bells, Leipzig 1901
21 Hallelujah - GF Handel
Harrogate Choral Society
22 In dulci jubilo - JS Bach
Martin Souter
23 Auld Lang Syne
Player piano
24 Church Bells

Victorian Carols
Christmas Songs and Music from Victorian England

The Victorians almost re-invented Christmas trees and carol singing after decades of neglect of our major festival. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert led the changing style of Christmas as it became a real family occasion for the first time, with presents around the tree and carol singing in the home and on the street. This recording assembles a variety of Victorian Christmas music from the sounds of street musicians to drawing room songs, from mechanical instruments and organs to bells and church choirs.

This varied selection of music reflects both the pious and robust sides to the Victorian musical style. Vigorous carols such as God rest you merry gentlemen (track 1) mix with gentle ones such as Sleep, holy babe (track 13) and the beautiful and famous See amid the winter's snow (track 12). Adam's powerful Cantique de Noël (Song of Christmas - track 4) contrasts with Liszt's quiet arrangement of In Dulci Jubilo (track 10).

The music of Bach and Handel was a feature of Victorian music making in the choral societies of towns and cities throughout the land and can be heard here in Jesu, Joy (track 16), In dulci jubilo (track 22) and in an all-time favourite Christmas piece, the Hallelujah Chorus (track 21).

The atmosphere of the Victorian Christmas drawing room is recreated here in sentimental songs from around the piano. What shall we sing at Christmas? (track 7) draws together several seasonal songs while the Song of the Robin Redbreast (track 9) may have brought a tear to the Victorian sentimental eye! Music boxes (including the famous Leipzig-made Polyphons) could be heard in the home or in the public bar, to which the carol singers (singing the Wassail Song - track 17) and slightly tipsy musicians might repair after a night of music-making and revelry around the town. In Landlord fill the Flowing Bowl (track 18) the musicians make it sound as though the landlord might have a few problems serving drinks accurately himself!