Working List of Albums of "New" Christmas Carols
Compiled by R. Rojas
Updated October 12, 2024
We like lists here at the Christmas Carols Blog and here, we have listed recordings promoting "new" Christmas carols. Now "new" is relative and you will see recordings that were released more than 30 years ago listed. However, some of these carols in these recording were "new" at the time, and in the relative since of music history, the past forty years is still: new. For an example of the relativity of "new," see New College, Oxford. Despite its name, New College is one of the oldest of the Oxford colleges (1379). Do not forget it is a wonderful choir led by Robert Quinney, and for many years before that by Edward Higgenbotham.
Here, we did not post albums by individual composers which usually contain a host of new Christmas carols. We did not do this because we already have a working list dedicated to this which you can find at Working List Choral Recordings Focusing on Modern Composers' Christmas Works.
Descriptions are by record label unless indicated. Some changes made to make for easier on-screen reading. We have organized them by release date
1965
This recording was reissued in 1994, but was a reissue of a 1965 recording by the The Elizabethan Singers conducted by Louise Halsey. This shows us what was "new" in 1965.
| A1 | I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In (ar. Simon Preston) | |
| A2 | The First Christmas (Elizabeth Flemming, music Peter Racine Fricker) | |
| A3 | Deck The Hall (arr. Hugo Cole) | |
| A4 | Dormi Jesu (Richard Rodney Bennett) | |
| A5 | Here We Come A-Wassailing (arr. John Joubert) | |
| A6 | Our Lady's Song | |
| A7 | Unto Us Born A Son (arr. Thomas Eastwood) | |
| A8 | There Is No Rose Of Such Virtue (John Joubert) | |
| A9 | We Wish You A Merry Christmas (arr. John Gardner) | |
| B1 | Silent Night (arr. Alan Ridout) | |
| B2 | The Boar's Head Carol (arr. Malcolm Williamson) | |
| B3 | Balulalow (Louise Halsey) | |
| B4 | Out Of Your Sleep Arise (Athony Milner) | |
| B5 | Ecce Puer (Bernard Naylor) | |
| B6 | What Cheer? (William Walson) | |
| B7 | From Heaven Winging (Basil Ramsey) | |
| B8 | Welcome Yule! (Peter Maxwell Davies) | |
| B9 | ||
| B10 | The First Nowell |
Alleluya, a new work is come on hand - Peter Wishard
When Christ was born of Mary free - John Gardner
Remember thou art man - Arthur Oldham
Ding Dong! - G.R. Woodward
O Leave you sheep - arr. Kenneth Leighton
There may be a difference between the LP and the later reissued compact disc as I think the reissues has previously-unreleased recordings. Numbering of tracks may differ also.
1996
This recording by Polyphony under Stephen Layton catches the beginning of the modern Christmas carol composers.
The oldest of them, Herbert Howells and Peter Warlock, being born in the late 1800s, and the last to pass being John Byrt, who just recently passed in 2021.
The Howell's carols were written between 1918 and 1920. Walton's "What Cheer" was written in 1961. Warlock's "A Cornish Christmas Carol" was published in 1924. Warlock wrote "Bethlehem Down" for the Daily Telegraph Carol Competition in 1927. Of course, Warlock would die young in 1930.
Peter Wishart's "Allelya, A new Work is come on Hand" was composed in 1952. Leighton's carols, "The Star-song," "Ode of the birth of our savior," and "Lully, lulla" were written in 1956. He composed "A Hymn of the Nativity" in 1960. John Byrt wrote "All and some" in 1963. It was later sung at the annual Christmas service at Kings College Cambridge in 1969.
Richard Rodney Bennett wrote his Five Carols ("Out of your sleep," "There is no rose," "That younge child," and "Sussanni") in 1967. This represents a 49-year period of carol writing.
Label: Hyperion
1996
We are still looking for a description of this one with the composers and arrangers listed. Just from a first glance, we can see some Howard Blake and John Rutter.
2000
Although post millennium, we could not find a description of this recording, but we found what looks like a review. We will post it but will observe any take down requests. We put in paragraph breaks to make for easier on-line reading:
"The range of styles here is wide: from Spike Jones/King's Singers jollity in John Harle's 'Mrs Beeton's Christmas Plum Pudding' to austere meditation in Peter Maxwell Davies's 'One Star at Last'. So, if 'Carols for a New Millennium' is an indication of the way things are heading (a big if), what does this disc tell us about the music of the new age?
The answer seems to be that it will be a lot like the music of the previous one, reflected in various kinds of distorting mirror - as for instance in Judith Weir's 'Illuminare Jerusalem', with its wittily evasive harmonic twists and turns.
A lot of this music glances backwards: John Tavener - typically - to the choral chant of Orthodox Church, Francis Grier to Warlock and Delius, Jerzy Kornowicz (fleetingly) to the taped collage effects of the Sixties - though the musical style of his 'Oczekiwanie' ('Waiting') is warmly approachable; Harle's piece even comes with faked 78 rpm surface-noise.
Sensation-seekers will be disappointed, but I could imagine one or two of these miniatures fitting cosily into the yearly broadcast Christmas service from King's College, Cambridge: Steve Martland's invigorating 'Make We Joy', John Harbison's finely crafted and moving 'O magnum mysterium', or Roxanna Panufnik's 'Sleep little Jesus' - an old Polish carol enriched with subtly unpredictable harmonies.
The BBC Singers approach all these pieces with their usual expertise and dedication, and the recordings generally balance atmosphere and clarity to good effect."
Performance ****
Sound ****
| 1 | Bo Holten– | Nowell Sing We Now | 3:56 |
| 2 | Steve Martland– | From Lands That See The Sun Arise | 2:40 |
| 3 | Steve Martland– | Make We Joy | 2:36 |
| 4 | Steve Martland– | There Is No Rose Of Such Virtue | 4:38 |
| 5 | Carl Rütti– | I Wonder As I Wander | 2:15 |
| 6 | Judith Weir– | Illuminare, Jerusalem | 2:28 |
| 7 | Judith Bingham– | The Shepherd's Gift | 3:48 |
| 8 | Francis Grier– | Corpus Christi Carol | 3:44 |
| 9 | Thomas Adès– | The Fayrfax Carol | 4:31 |
| 10 | Conrad Susa– | The Shepherds Sing | 3:15 |
| 11 | Jean Belmont– | Nativitas | 2:33 |
| 12 | James MacMillan (2)– | Seinte Mari Moder Milde | 7:12 |
| 13 | John Tavener– | Today The Virgin | 3:01 |
| 14 | Jerzy Kornowicz– | Oczekiwanie (Waiting) | 9:09 |
| 15 | Richard Rodney Bennett– | Carol | 3:42 |
| 16 | Peter Maxwell Davies– | One Star, At Last | 3:33 |
| 17 | John Harbison– | O Magnum Mysterium | 2:17 |
| 18 | Roxanna Panufnik– | Sleep, Little Jesus, Sleep | 3:19 |
| 19 | Howard Goodall– | Romance Of The Angels | 4:32 |
| 20 | John Harle– | Mrs Beeton's Christmas Plum Pudding (Average Cost: 3 Shillings And 6d) | 4:08 |
2005
2005
When an ensemble like the BBC Singers, renowned for its commitment to the music of our own time, sets out to record a Christmas CD you can be sure that the repertoire will include material rather different from the usual run of popular standards and arrangements!
One star at last includes eight new carols (six of them specially-commissioned by BBC Radio 3), several premiere recordings, and a selection of music – serious and light-hearted, contemplative and joyful – by some of the leading British, European and North American choral composers of the day.
"Astonishingly high standards of choral singing … excellent performances and the organ contributions by Robert Quinney are all splendid … Enthusiastically recommended" – Musicweb International.
1. Nowell Sing We Now - Bo Holten
2. From lands that see the sun arise - Steve Martland
3. Make we joy - Steve Martland
4. There is no Rose of such virtue - Steve Martland
5. I wonder as I wander - Carl Rütti
6. Illuminare, Jerusalem - Judith Weir
7. The Shepherd’s Gift - Judith Bingham
8. Corpus Christi Carol - Francis Grier
9. The Fayrfax Carol - Thomas Adès
10. The Shepherds Sing - Conrad Susa
11. Nativitas - Jean Belmont
12. Seinte Mari Moder Milde - James MacMillan
13. Today the Virgin - John Tavener
14. Oczekiwanie (Waiting) - Jerzy Kornowicz
15. Carol - Richard Rodney Bennett
16. One star, at last - Peter Maxwell Davies
17. O Magnum Mysterium - John Harbison
18. Sleep, little Jesus, sleep - Roxanna Panufnik
19. Romance of the Angels - Howard Goodall
20. Mrs. Beeton’s Christmas Plum Pudding - John Harle
2007
The album advertises itself as "new and favorite" it has some 19th Century carols, but also has a good deal of late 20th century composers. Among them Michael Head, Bob Chilcott, John Rutter, Kenneth Leighton, Jonathan Rathbone, Judith Weir, Morten Lauridsen, Paul Edwards, John Gardner, and more.
2007
| 1 | Remember Bethlehem |
| 2 | Snows The Land Cover |
| 3 | One Cold Dark Night |
| 4 | Lute Book Lullaby |
| 5 | Jacob's Ladder |
| 6 | God Is Born (Fantasia On A Polish Carol) |
| 7 | Dawn Carol |
| 8 | Romance Of The Epiphany |
| 9 | In The Bleak Midwinter |
| 10 | Little Star Of Bethlehem |
| 11 | Der Wind Auf Leeren Strassen |
| 12 | Entre Les Boeufs Et L'ane |
| 13 | Our Blessed Lady's Lullaby |
| 14 | Shepherd's Carol |
| 15 | There Is No Rose Of Such Virtue |
| 16 | In The Manger (Fantasia On A Polish Carol) |
| 17 | The Lamb |
| 18 | What Child Is This? |
| 19 | Good King Wenceslas |
| 20 | Ninna-Nanna A Gesu Bambino |
| 21 | Come Sing And Dance |
| 22 | Love Divine |
- Bax: Fantasias (2) on Polish Carols
- Browne, P A: The Lamb
- Darlington: Jacob's Ladder
- Forbes, S: There is no rose of such virtue
- Gant, A: What Child is this?
- Goodall, H: Der Wind auf leeren Strassen
- Goodall, H: Love Divine
- Goodall, H: Romance of Epiphany
- Howells: Come Sing and Dance
- Ives, C: A Christmas Carol
- Ives, C: Little Star of Bethlehem
- Madden, John: Lute Book Lullaby
- Mullinar: In the bleak mid-winter
- Poston: Entre les boeufs et l’âne
- Ridout, A: Snows the land cover
- Rose, B: Our Blessed Lady's Lullaby
- Routley: Entre le bœuf et l'âne
- Virgili: Ninna-nanna a Gesù bambino
- White, Peter: One cold, dark night
- White, Peter: The shepherd's carol
- Williamson: Dawn Carol
Label: Metronome
2007
1 | Sir Christemas - Mathias |
| 2 | How Shall I Fitly Meet Thee? - J.S. Bach |
| 3 | No Small Wonder - Wigmore/Edwards |
| 4 | Sweet Was The Song |
| 5 | Il Est Ne, Le Divin Enfant |
| 6 | Pastorcito Santo - De Vega/Rodrigo |
| 7 | See Amid The Winter's Snow - Caswell/Goss |
| 8 | In Tua Memoria |
| 9 | Tece Voda, Tece |
| 10 | Hark! Hark The Herald Angels Sing - Wesley/Burney |
| 11 | Ave Maria - Rachmoninov |
| 12 | Still, Still |
| 13 | Riu, Riu Chiu |
| 14 | Bailero |
| 15 | E La Don, Don Verges Maria |
| 16 | In The Bleak Mid-Winter |
| 17 | When Jesus Christ |
| 18 | The Lamb |
| 19 | A Gaelic Blessing - Rutter |
| 20 | Away In A Manger - Kirkpatrick, arr. Willcocks |
| 21 | Stille Nacht |
| 22 | A Merry Christmas - arr. Warrell |
Label: Asv Living Era
2011
For a 2011-issued album, again, the "modern" can be relative. Most if not all of these composers/arrangers have passed on. None that I can see were born post-1940. Nevertheless, early twentieth centruy can still be considered "modern."
|
Once in Royal David's City - Henry John Gauntlett |
|
O Magnum Mysterium - William Byrd |
|
Ding Dong! Merrily On High - Charles Wood/Thoinot Arbeau |
|
A Babe Is Born - Gustav Holst |
|
Now Let Us Sing - Gustav Holst |
|
Jesu Thou the Virgin-born - Gustav Holst |
|
The Saviour of the World Is Born - Gustav Holst |
|
O Come All Ye Faithful -John Francis Wade |
|
Long Long Ago - Herbert Howells |
|
Sussex Carol - On Christmas Night - Trad. |
|
Out of Your Sleep - Sir Richard Rodney Bennettt |
|
The Holly and the Ivy - Trad. |
|
Lully Lulla Thou Little Tiny Child - Kenneth Leighton |
|
Torches - John Joubert |
|
Angelus Ad Virginem - Trad. |
|
This Is the Truth Sent from Above - Ralph Vaughn Williams |
|
Sing Lullaby - Contributor: E. Pettman |
|
In Dulci Jubilo - Trad. |
|
Before Dawn - Gustav Holst |
|
In the Bleak Midwinter - Rossetti/Harold Darke |
|
There Is No Rose - Gustav Holst |
|
Silent Night Holy Night - Gruber/John Joubert |
|
What Sweeter Music Can We Bring - Sir Richard Rodney Bennett |
|
A Spotless Rose - Howells |
|
Hark the Herald Angels Sing - arr. Willcocks |
2011
"A typically intriguing and unusual programme from the Choir of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge, combining English works from the twelfth to sixteenth centuries with medievally inspired carols by some of our finest living composers.
From the plangent innocence of William Sweeney’s The Innumerable Christ to the shining antiphony of Diana Burrell’s Creator of the Stars of Night, this selection will seduce and enchant.
The choral singing combines polish with verve, and director Geoffrey Webber’s meticulous attention to detail is floodlit by the bathing acoustics of St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast."
"The two resident choirs of St Catharine's College, Cambridge, and their director Edward Wickham, join together to record this stunning and evocative selection of contemporary Christmas carols.
The college can boast having the first and only college-based Oxbridge girls' choir, and its own beautiful chapel in the very heart of Cambridge, provided the venue for this debut recording of the recently founded St Catharine's Girls' Choir.
Joined by the student choir, the album features premieres from such composers as Richard Rodney Bennett, Roxanna Panufnik, Cecilia McDowall and John Tavener. It also includes works specially written for the Girls' Choir by Stevie Wishart and Christopher Fox."
- The Holly and the Ivy, for chorus & organ (R. R. Bennett)
- Saint Ita's Lullaby, for chorus & organ (Nicola Lefanu)
- Adaml lay ybounden, for chorus (Matthew Larkin)
- There Is No Rose, for soprano, bass, chorus & organ (Giles Swayne)
- Christmas Eve, carol for chorus & organ (Tansey Davies)
- Nova! Nova! Ave fit ex Eva, for chorus (James MacMillan)
- Alma redemptoris mater, for chorus & organ (Roxanna Panfunik)
- Before the Paling of the Stars, for chorus & organ (Cecilia Mcdowall
- A Cradle Song, for chorus (John Tavener)
-
A Dream of Winter, for female chorus & organ (Christophe Fox)
- Digging (01:35)
- Swedes (02:31)
- Thaw (01:05)
- Tall nettles (01:20)
- Hevene Quene, for chorus & organ
-
Carols (3), for female chorus & organ (Stevie Wishart)
- Te Deum Laudamus
- Let's be merry as bird on berry
- Lullaby for Freya
- In the Stillness of a Church, for chorus & organ (Salley Beamish)
"Following on from the universal critical acclaim of their first album with Resonus (This Christmas Night - RES10113), the Choir of Worcester College, Oxford - under the direction of Stephen Farr - * with a second album of contemporary Christmas Carols.
Label: Pentatone Music
There is no Rose: Christmas in the 21st Century, Vocal Group Concert Clemens, Carsten Seyer-Hansen
The rose as the symbol of love runs as a theme throughout this album. The title of the recording “There is no Rose …” could suggest there being no more love in this sense in the 21 st Century, but the lyrics go on “… as is the Rose that bare Jesu. For in this rose contained was heaven and earth in little space. By that rose we may well see that he is God in persons three.”
Celebrating Christmas means celebrating the rose, i.e. love. ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.’
The music on “There is no Rose” is arranged and/or composed in the present century by mainly Danish and English composers. The idea is to present well-known and lesser-known music in fresh and appealing arrangements, many of which are hereby on record for the first time.
1. The Shepherd’s Carol - Bob Chilcott b.1955
2. Skyerne gråne -Thora Borch (1832-1923) arr. Søren K. Hansen b.1955)
4. O Radiant Dawn - James MacMillan b.1959
6. Quem Pastores - Trad. arr. Nigel Short b.1965
7. And all the stars looked down
8. Mit hjerte altid vanker - Carl Nielsen (1865-1931), arr. Nadja Marie Schmedes Enevoldsen b.1988)
10. There is no Rose of such virtue - Bob Chilcott
12. In the bleak Midwinter - Gustav Holst (1874-1934) arr. Ola Gjeilo b.1978)
13. The Holly and the Ivy - Trad. arr Paul Hillier b.1949
14. Es ist ein Ros - Trad. 16th Century arr. Paul Hillier
15. We wish you a merry Christmas - Trad. arr Paul Hillier
"'The Silver Stars at Play' is a collection of world premiere recordings of contemporary Christmas carols sung by Kantos Chamber Choir, directed by Elspeth Slorach.
"Hodie! Contemporary Christmas Carols brings together a compelling selection of contemporary Christmas carols and arrangements, a snapshot of a rich and exciting repertoire of Christmas music.
ADVENT CALENDAR, Ora Singers
Released November 2017
"The ORA Advent Calendar was broadcast in over 14 countries worldwide through the month of December 2017. 24 contemporary choral works, one for each day in the countdown to Christmas. Featuring new commissions by John Rutter and Debbie Wiseman."
1. Suzi's Carol
2. Venite, Gaudte!
3. Gabriel's Message
4. In the Stillness
5. Adam lay y-bounden
6. Lullay, my Liking
7. Balulalow
8. Coventry Carol - Arr. Richard Allain
9. O Mannum mysterium
10. Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day
11. My Lord has Come
12 Quem pastores laudavere
13.Gaudete!
14. My Guardian Angel
15. Shepherds' Cradle Song
16. The Shepherd's Carol
17. The Oxen
19. Lux Aurumque
20. Bogoriodise Djevo
21. Les angels dans nos campagnes - Arr. Tobias Frank
22. In the Bleak Midwinter - Arr. Ola Gjeilo
23. Mary's Lullaby (Silent Night)
24. The Christmas Tree
· O magnum mysterium
ADRIAN PEACOCK [1962-]
· Venite, Gaudete!
RODERICK WILLIAMS [1965-]
· O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel
JUDITH WEIR
· Drop down, ye heavens, from above
THOMAS TALLIS [c.1505-1585]
· Videte miraculum
ANONYMOUS
· Coventry Carol (Medieval)
ALLAIN RICHARD
· Coventry Carol
ANONYMOUS
· Nova, nova
JAMES MACMILLAN [1959-]
· Nova! Nova! Ave fit ex Eva
JOHN RUTTER
· Suzi's Carol
JAMIE W. HALL [1983-]
· As I lay upon a night
ANONYMOUS
· There is no rose (Medieval)
BEN ROWARTH [1992-]
· There is no rose
THOMAS HYDE [1978-]
· Sweet was the song
ANONYMOUS
· Now may we singen
· Now may we singen (Medieval)
FREDRIK SIXTEN [1962-]
· Mary's Lullaby (Silent Night)
STEVEN SAMETZ [1954-]
· Gaudete
MORTEN LAURIDSEN
· O magnum mysterium (1994)
1. Plain Course of Grandiose - Composer: Choir of Christ Church Cathedral
2. O magnum mysterium - Composer: Paul Halley
3. A poor place - Composer: Herbert O'Dirscoll Composer: Patrick Wedd
4. Legend of the Bird - Composer: Stephanie Martin
5. I sing the birth - Ben Jonson Composer: Stephen Chatman
6. Rejoice ye Peoples of the Earth - Composer: Martin Luther Composer: Zachary Windus
7. Sailor's Carol - Composer: Charles Causley Composer: Matthew Larkin
8. There is no Rose - Composer: Rupert Lang
9. The time draws near - Alfred Lord Tennyson Composer: Christopher Goddard
10. Not very long ago - Composer: Bramwell Tovey
11. I Syng of a Mayden - Composer: Kathleen Allan
12. Touch of Grandshire Triples - Composer: The Christ Church Cathedral Guild of Bellringers
Christmas Gift, Ora Singers
Released December 2019
"In 2019, ORA Singers launched a call for scores from UK composers, to select 12 composers to have their Christmas works professionally recorded by ORA Singers. The project, called Christmas Gift, sought out developing composers who would benefit from a professional recording to help them take the next stage in their careers. From the many entries, 12 composers were selected, ranging from all over the UK and from ages 22-70; who were then invited to attend the rehearsals of their works with ORA’s Artistic Director, Suzi Digby OBE, before the official recording at All Hallow’s, Gospel Oak on the 12th of December 2019.
Each composer then received a professional recording of their composition to use for promotional purposes, performed by the world-class ORA Singers, and available to listen to on our website, YouTube and SoundCloud pages."
1. The bee Carol - Anthony Esland
2. Hush! My dear lie still and sleep - Rory Wainwright
3. O hasten, you Sehpherd - Grahme Barer
4. Sleep, Softly Now - Ian Assersohn
5. Christmas Eve - Anna Disley-Simpson
6. Bethlehem Ephrathaha - Althea Talbot Howa
7. A Winter Bluejay - Jack McCartney
8. I sing of a maiden - Dave Dexter
9. Rune of the Nativity - Jen Hartley
10. Still, still, still - Edmund Jollifffe
11. Gold and Spices - Alison Willis
If you know of a recording of "new" carols that we may have missed, email christmascarolblog@gmail.com.
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