Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – Vaughan Williams: An Oxford Christmas (2021) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

This recording focusses on arrangements made by Vaughan Williams for The Oxford Book of Carols (1928), coupled with two later carols published by OUP. Many of the tunes are far from well-known and deserve a new audience. 10 of the 22 tracks are first recordings, but reserve the right to have overlooked one or two amidst the vast but very mixed heritage of recorded carols. The preface to The Oxford Book of Carols tells us that: “Variety in the method of singing is even more important than with hymns, and the verses should never be sung straight through all in the same way”. In this spirit the choir’s director, William Vann, has prepared the carols for recording with a mixture of accompanied, unaccompanied and solo verses. Few of these carols are likely to have been undertaken by a congregation; this recording by a choir of distinguished professional singers presents the carols at their best, supported by the Henry Willis organ of St Jude-on-the-Hill, Hampstead, in half of the carols.

Tracklist:
1-1. Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – No. 45, Sussex Mummer’s Carol (04:54)
1-2. Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – No. 7, Hereford Carol (02:45)
1-3. Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – No. 4, A Virgin Most Pure (06:00)
1-4. Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – No. 24, Sussex Carol [2nd Tune] (02:10)
1-5. Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – No. 31, Gloucestershire Wassail (01:39)
1-6. Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – No. 36, The Salutation Carol (02:53)
1-7. Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – No. 46, The Bellman’s Song [3rd Tune] (03:00)
1-8. Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – No. 60, Job [3rd Tune] (03:08)
1-9. Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – No. 39, This Endris Night (03:49)
1-10. Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – No. 24, Sussex Carol [1st Tune] (01:42)
1-11. Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – No. 131, Coverdale’s Carol (02:34)
1-12. Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – No. 77, Song of the Crib (04:28)
1-13. Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – No. 142, Children’s Song of the Nativity (02:06)
1-14. Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – No. 134, If Ye Would Hear the Angels Sing (02:33)
1-15. Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – No. 79, Quem Pastores (01:26)
1-16. Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – No. 46, The Bellman’s Song [2nd Tune] (02:26)
1-17. Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – No. 115, Joseph and Mary (03:31)
1-18. Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – No. 60, Job [4th Tune] (02:38)
1-19. Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – No. 43, The Seven Virgins (04:21)
1-20. Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – No. 132, Psalm of Sion (02:59)
1-21. Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – O My Dear Heart (Arr. R. Vaughan Williams for Choir) (03:52)
1-22. Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea – God Bless the Master of This House (Arr. R. Vaughan Williams for Choir) (03:09)