Carols from Chelsea Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, James Orford & William Vann

• Franz Xaver Gruber (1787-1863):
• 1 Stille Nacht (Silent Night) (arr. D. Cashmore for choir) 03:45
• Henry John Gauntlett (1805-1876):
• 2 Once in Royal David's City (arr. D. Willcocks for choir) 04:36
• Traditional:
• 3 8 Traditional English Carols: No. 6. Truth Sent from Above 02:54
• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750):
• 4 In dulci jubilo, BWV 729 03:02
• Herbert Howells (1892-1983):
• 5 A Spotless Rose 03:19
• William Byrd (ca.1540-1623):
• 6 O magnum misterium 05:47
• John Rutter (1894-1930):
• 7 Dormi, Jesu 05:35
• Francis Pott (1957):
• 8 Hodie Christus natus est 02:49
• Traditional:
• 9 God Rest You Merry Gentlemen (arr. D. Willocks for choir) 03:13
• Peter Warlock (1894-1930):
• 10 Benedicamus Domino 01:20
• Johannes Brahms (1833-1897):
• 11 11 Chorale Preludes, Op. 122: No. 8. Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen 03:33
• Harold Darke (1888-1976)
• 12 In the Bleak Mid-Winter 04:51
• Traditional:
• 13 Ding Dong! Merrily on High (arr. M. Wilberg for chorus and organ) 02:06
• Adolphe Adam (1803-1856):
• 14 O Holy Night (Cantique de Noel) (arr. for voice, choir and orchestra): Cantique de Noel (O Holy Night) 05:42
• John Ireland (1879-1962):
• 15 Holy Boy (A Carol of the Nativity) 04:51
• Michael Head (1900-1976):
• 16 The Little Road To Bethlehem 03:39
• Traditional:
• 17 O Little Town of Bethlehem (arr. R. Vaughan Williams and T. Armstrong for choir) 03:36
• Leroy Anderson (1908-1975):
• 18 Sleigh Ride (arr. T. Trotter for organ) 03:09
• John Gardner (1917-2011):
• 19 Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day, Op. 75, No. 2 02:15
• Irving Berlin (1888-1989):
• 20 Holiday Inn: White Christmas (arr. J. Clements for choir) 03:45
• Total Runtime 01:13:47

Info for Carols from Chelsea

Celebrate Christmas this year with Carols from Chelsea, a delicious offering from the Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea under their Director, William Vann. The Royal Hospital, founded in 1682 by Charles II, is the home of the iconic Chelsea Pensioners, who are all retired soldiers of the British Army. The Chapel Choir sings for the Sunday morning Matins service in the Royal Hospital’s Wren Chapel during the year, but in December provides the music for carol services and other Christmas-themed events almost every day.

his recording showcases some of the Choir’s most cherished carol repertoire, alongside solo organ music performed by the Royal Hospital’s Organ Scholar, James Orford, and a very special performance with Chelsea Pensioner George Hatton. George is known for his occasional singing in the Chelsea Pensioners’ Club in the evening, and during December he has been known to join forces with the choir for a song or two. It was one of those moments that gave them the idea to record something with him on this album and the last track, White Christmas, could hardly have ended the disc more joyously!

This is the first professional recording George has ever made. And, at the age of 88, it gave him great pleasure to sing with such a wonderful choir. Many of the Royal Hospital’s carol services begin with Franz Gruber’s spine-tingling carol Stille Nacht, an especially moving carol to hear in the original German, given its celebrated performance in the trenches on Christmas Day, 1914. Once in Royal David’s City is the first of three carols that are usually sung with the full congregation, opening with the famous solo that captures the mood of Christmas like nothing else.

In between that and Irving Berlin’s wonderfully un-wintry White Christmas, performed here in a new arrangement by Jim Clements, we hear mostly the work of English composers, from the Renaissance-era genius William Byrd to the contemporary composers Francis Pott and John Rutter.

British organist Thomas Trotter’s arrangement of Leroy Anderson’s light-music classic Sleigh Ride leads us into John Gardner’s thrilling setting of the old text Tomorrow shall be my Dancing Day, the side drum part played on one of the Royal Hospital’s beautifully decorated instruments.

Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea
William Vann, direction
James Orford, organ

No biography found.

Booklet for Carols from Chelsea