Away in a manger (Tune: Cradle Song) (New English Hymnal 22)
Up! Good Christian Folk, and Listen (Piae cantiones)
O Little Town of Bethlehem
I Sing of a Maiden for 2 voices & piano
A Spotless Rose, for chorus
Once in Royal David's City
Personent Hodie (On this day Earth shall ring) (Piae Cantiones)
Myn Lyking
O come, O come, Emmanuel (Veni, veni, emmanuel), carol
The Holly and the Ivy (English)
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht (Silent Night)
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night (unspecified tune)
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
The Lord at first did Adam make
Hark! the Herald Angels Sing (adapted by W. H. Cummings from Mendelssohn's Festgesang for the Gutenberg Festival)
Track Listings (16) - Disc #2
Shepherd's Pipe Carol
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly (W zlobie lezy)
Angel Tidings (Moravian)
Quelle est cette odeur agréable? (Whence is that goodly fragrance?) (French)
I Saw Three Ships
Nativity Carol
Quem pastores laudavere (Hohenfurth Manuscript, 1410)
Rocking Carol (Czech)
Wassail Song ('Here We Come A-Wassailing'), carol
The Coming of our King (Polish Carol)
The infant King (Basque)
La pastora Caterina, carol (Catalan)
Noël nouvelet, carol (French)
Gabriel's Message (Basque)
Sans Day Carol
Past Three O'clock, carol (English)
Track Listings (14) - Disc #3
Methinks I See a Heavenly Host
Los que Fueren de Buen Gusto
A Virgin Unspotted
The Babe of Bethlehem
This Endere Nyghth
Riu, riu, chiu
Christum Wir Sollen Loben Schon
Gaudete!
Verbum Caro: 'In Hac Anni Circulo'
Alleluya: A nywe werk, for chorus
The old yeare now away is fled (English)
Hodie nobis caelorum Rex, motet for 4 voices, P. 92
Audite principes, motet for 16 voices
In Dulci Jubilo, for chorus & ensemble (from the Polyhymnia caduceatrix)
Track Listings (20) - Disc #4
The Little Drummer Boy (Carol of the Drum), carol
El niño querido (The Beloved Child) (Spanish)
Simple Gifts
Maria Wiegenlied (Mary's Lullaby: 'Maria sitzt am Rosenhag'), song for voice & piano (or orchestra), Op. 76/52
Go Tell It on the Mountain, Christmas song (American)
Joy to the World (theme by Handel)
Judas Maccabaeus, oratorio, HWV 63: Tochter Zion, freue dich
Zu Bethlehem geboren (Geistlicher Psalter, Köln 1638)
Mary's Little Boy Child, song
Ukrainian Bell Carol (Shchedryk)
Il est né, le divin enfant (French)
Minuit Chrétiens
La Marche des Rois (Provençal carol)
Noël des îles
Chanson joyeuse de Noël
Weihnachten ('Leise weht's durch alle Lande'), for voice & piano
Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her (From Heaven on High), carol (German)
In the Bleak Midwinter
O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree) (German)
The Twelve Days of Christmas
Track Listings (17) - Disc #5
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen (English)
Good King Wenceslas (Piae Cantiones, 1582)
We Three Kings of Orient Are
Angels From the Realms Of Glory
As With Gladness Men of Old
Coventry Carol (2): 'Lully, Lulla, Thou Little Tiny Child'
We've been a while a-wandering, carol ('The Yorkshire Wassail Song')
Masters in This Hall
See Amid the Winter's Snow, for chorus
Sussex Carol ('On Christmas Night')
Ding Dong! Merrily on High (French)
O Little One Sweet
Wassail Song ('Here We Come A-Wassailing'), carol
Carol with Lullaby
A Cowboy Carol
L' Enfance du Christ, oratorio for soprano, 2 tenors, baritone, 3 basses, chorus & orchetsra ('trilogie sacrée') H. 130 (Op. 25): The
We Wish You a Merry Christmas (English)
Track Listings (17) - Disc #6
Nowell! Nowell! Nowell!
And All in the Morning ('On Christmas Day'), carol for chorus or voice & piano (Traditional English Carols No. 1)
I Saw A Maiden (Basque)
Ein Kind geborn zu Bethleham
Where Riches is Evelastingly
How Far To Bethlehem?
Of the Father's heart begotten (A Christmas Procession)
Resonet in Laudibus (Piae Cantiones)
Shepherd's Cradle Song
Quittez pasteurs (O come away ye shepherds) (French)
Lully, Lulla, Thou Little Tiny Child, for soloist & chorus, Op 25b
Remember, O thou man (from Melismata, 1611)
Hodie Christus natus est, motet for 5 voices & continuo (Cantiones Sacrae No. 13)
Hosanna to the son of David, anthem for 6 voices
Angelus ad virginem
Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day (English)
O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste fidelis)
2007 release in the Best Classics 100 series, 100 Best Carols is the perfect Christmas release-- six CDs of the most famous carols, all time for the price of one full-priced disc! Among the vocal groups found on this relea... more »se are the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, the Taverner Choir, the Bach Choir, and the Wiener Sangerknaben, while star soloists include Roberto Alagna, Thomas Hampson, Barbara Hendricks, Hermann Prey, and Kiri Te Kanawa.« less
2007 release in the Best Classics 100 series, 100 Best Carols is the perfect Christmas release-- six CDs of the most famous carols, all time for the price of one full-priced disc! Among the vocal groups found on this release are the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, the Taverner Choir, the Bach Choir, and the Wiener Sangerknaben, while star soloists include Roberto Alagna, Thomas Hampson, Barbara Hendricks, Hermann Prey, and Kiri Te Kanawa.
CD Reviews
Unbelievable bargain
E. Green | 12/21/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I agree with the initial reviewer's comments.
I've accumulated many exquisite Christmas recordings over the years, some unmatched in their beauty and quality, but this is a gem in its own right. This would make a great addition to any collection, particularly as an introduction to the British choral tradition. There are so many standouts, I wouldn't know where to begin.
I highly recommend this CD. The complete offerings are currently on the MP3 download playlist.
"
Traditional Choral singing at it's best
Song Bear | Ashburn, VA | 02/28/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Most of the recordings in this set are from the British church choir tradition, although one of the CDs includes some orchestration and solo singing. With all the pop CDs on the market, it is nice to have at least one version of these carols that haven't been souped up and grooved out beyond recognition. And 100 Best is an understatement. I am not sure, but I think every Christmas Carol in the Anglo classical/sacred tradition is present in this set. Combine this with your Andy Williams, Winter Solstice collections, and other more pop collections and it will keep you in the spirit through the holiday season.
The sound quality is excellent. Most of the performances were recorded in some sort of church or cathedral so the sound stage is big. I spent more than a few evenings last December sitting in my living room with only the light of my Christmas tree enjoying this set. At less than 20 bucks, it is a steal."
Fantastic value, excellent recordings
M. Bauer | Colorado | 12/18/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"EMI raided their vaults for this wonderful release.
If you like traditional arrangements of carols, excellently played, you can't afford not to order this set!"
Track Listings (16) - Disc #1