Search - Stephen Varcoe, Simon Vaughan, Gareth Morrell :: The Best Carols in the World...Ever!

Title makes a big claim, but it absolutely delivers...

Random McNasty | 12/02/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album provides 2.5 hours of excellent carols, from excellent choirs and soloists, and with great sound. I was worried that a compilation this large, and with such an extravagent title, would be B-side offerings, but that's not the case at all.



This isn't an album if you are looking for something "fresh and new." The arrangements are traditional, and even newer carols are done in a fairly conservative style. But that said, some of the pieces provide the best orchestration and voice arrangement I have ever heard. This is like the pinnacle of the classic English Christmas carol; clean, precise, glorious and celebratory."

Its time to be seasonal

J. Couper | Lincoln, England | 12/16/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album contains traditional carols performed in a traditional way at the best quality. It is an excellent album to ensure the spirit of christmas is present and to bring the true meaning of christmas back. The double CD selection has all the golden favourites as well as not so wellknown carols to complete a very good christmas album. Merry Christmas to you all!"

A vital ingredient to an excellent Christmas carol collectio

M. Peever | North Carolina | 11/25/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Best Carols in the World...Ever! is not the only CD needed to build an excellent Christmas carol collection, but it is definitely a key ingredient. My CD shelves are arranged left-to-right in roughly descending order of enjoyment. The Best Carols in the World...Ever! sits on the far left, accompanied by Noel: Christmas at King's, A Traditional Christmas Carol Collection, and Christmas with the Academy.



The album is interesting just for the breadth of carols on it: "Gaudete," "A Virgin Unspotted," "Masters in This Hall," and "Methinks I See an Heav'nly Host" are included along with more standard offerings like "In the Bleak Midwinter" and "Once in Royal David's City." And the breadth of carols is highlighted by excellent performances and high-quality recording.



The artists include Mediaeval Baebes, Choir Of King's College Cambridge, and Taverner Choir. These are excellent performers with solid material. And the recording quality is a bonus: I've more than one excellent Christmas album blemished with tape artifacts and other technical flaws. It can be frustrating to hear a gorgeous piece of music touched with a fault that's not from either the music or the performance. This CD is generally free from those flaws.



Really, there is no glaring fault on this album. I can't call it perfect:that would infer no other albums are necessary. But it's really a very excellent recording, at an extremely attractive price. It is an integral piece of my Christmas music collection."