Festival of Lessons & Carols

King's College Choir (Artist), Trotter/ Ledger (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B000002S15
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #237,853 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Once in royal David's city - Chor of King's College/Philip Ledger/Thomas Trotter/Jason McCaldin

2. Bidding Prayer - Chor of King's College/Philip Ledger/Thomas Trotter/Dean of King's College

3. Resonet in laudibus

4. First Lesson: Genesis 3

5. Adam lay ybounden

6. Sussex Carol

7. Second Lesson: Isaiah 9

8. Joseph and Mary - Chor of King's College/Philip Ledger/Thomas Trotter/Charles Daniels

9. Third Lesson: St. Luke 1 - Chor of King's College/Philip Ledger/Thomas Trotter/Dir of Music, King's College

10. A maiden most gentle

11. Fourth Lesson: St. Luke 2 - Chor of King's College/Philip Ledger/Thomas Trotter/Chaplain of King's College

12. Stille Nacht!

13. Chester Carol

14. Fifth Lesson: St. Luke 2

15. Angels, from the realms of glory

16. Sixth Lesson: St Matthew 2 - Chor of King's College/Philip Ledger/Thomas Trotter/Rep of Eton College

17. A Babe is born

18. Seventh Lesson: St. John 1 - Chor of King's College/Philip Ledger/Thomas Trotter/Provost of King's College

19. O come, all ye faithful

20. Collect for Christmas Eve/The Blessing - Chor of King's College/Philip Ledger/Thomas Trotter/Dean of King's College

See all 22 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Christmastime Favorite, June 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Festival of Lessons & Carols (Audio CD)

Since I originally bought this CD 5 or 6 years ago, it has been one of my Christmas favorites. Some CDs you play at your Christmas party for your friends, you play "A Festival of Lessons and Carols" when you are alone and not distracted with other activities. It is a wonderfully contemplative CD. The Choir of King's College Cambridge opens the CD with "Once in royal David's city," a lovely quiet piece of music which shows of the acoustics of the chapel, the quality of the english choristors and boys choir. After this hymn they continue with a prayer, then another hymn. They alternate hymns with lessons or prayers which makes listening to this CD an almost religious experience.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect in every way, November 25, 2008

By 

Presbyteros "This Is the Record of John" (Glassboro, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Festival of Lessons & Carols (Audio CD)

This is a shortened version of the service heard around the world every Christmas Eve, but not less valuable for that. The length is just right for casual or even serious listening (Stephen Cleobury has recorded the whole service on 2 CDs). The Ledger years don't get as much notice as the Willcocks or Cleobury years. It may be that it was simply too difficult to follow Sir David Willcocks. But the Choir is a living institution, and Philip Ledger and the choir are first rate in this recording of Lessons and Carols. Some details from your Oxford Book of Carols are different. Ledger wrote some of his own descants, and also arranged some of the carols. The service as a whole is simply magic, and you won't notice a missing lesson or carol. I wrap presents to this on Christmas Eve. Or take this out in July, turn down the air conditioning, and let it rip.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars English Christmas in your home, December 1, 2004

By 

Luna (New Hampshire, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Festival of Lessons & Carols (Audio CD)

This was my grandmother's absolute favorite Christmas record. She was English and it reminded her of her traditional Anglican upbringing. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to transform themselves to another time and place. If you close your eyes you can imagine yourself in a beautiful English cathedral.