The best Christmas classical music albums and recordings<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
Six of the best pieces of Christmas choral music<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
How did Christmas music start?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
Carol singing: When did the Christmas tradition begin?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
The 25 greatest Christmas carols of all time<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
The Sixteen Choir and Orchestra\u2019s best Christmas recordings<\/h2>\n
Traditional Christmas Carol Collection Vol. II <\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
COR 16085<\/i> <\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n
\u00a312.99<\/i><\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>
The Sixteen play Christmas with a commendably straight bat \u2013 seasonal favourites, with tinkering kept to a minimum.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-container"\" data-position=\""adhoc"\" hidden=\"\"> <h5 class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-title\" monetizer-title=\"\" style=\""background-color:\" color:=\"\"\/> <div id=\""monetizer__deals"\" data-type=\""price-comparison"\" data-config=\"'{"shopId":"1378","market":"gbp_en","template":"default","searchKeywords":"Traditional\" christmas=\"\" carol=\"\" collection=\"\" vol.=\"\" ii=\"\"\/> <div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-explanatory-text\" body-copy-extra-small=\"\" editor-content=\"\"\/><\/div> <h3 class=\""p1"\"><span class=\""s1"\"><b>The Christmas Collection <\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul><li class=\""p1"\"><strong><span class=\""s2"\"><i>COR 16054 (3 CDs)<\/i> <\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li class=\""p1"\"><strong><span class=\""s2"\"><i>\u00a325.99<\/i><\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><p class=\""p2"\"><span class=\""s1"\">Recorded originally on the Collins label, this excellent three-disc set combines Traditional Christmas Collection Vol. I with one CD each of early and 20th-century Christmas music.<\/span><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Spotify\" embed:=\"\" a=\"\" traditional=\"\" christmas=\"\" carol=\"\" collection=\"\" from=\"\" the=\"\" sixteen=\"\" width=\""100%"\" height=\""380"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\""autoplay;\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" fullscreen=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" src=\""https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/0WBOtjRa9Nabchu76pl4hr?utm_source=oembed"\"\/>\n<ul><li><strong><a href=\"\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Traditional-Christmas-Collection-Sixteen-Christophers\/dp\/B000J3EBMG?tag=classicalm05c-21&ascsubtag=classicalmusic-0"\" target=\""_blank"\" rel=\""sponsored" noopener noreferrer\">Buy from Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\""p3"\"><span class=\""s1"\"><b>Britten<\/b> <\/span><span class=\""s3"\"><b>A Ceremony of Carols <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<ul><li class=\""p3"\"><strong><span class=\""s1"\"><i>COR 16034<\/i> <\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li class=\""p3"\"><strong><span class=\""s1"\"><i>\u00a312.99<\/i><\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><p class=\""p2"\"><span class=\""s1"\">A beautifully balanced performance that serves as an effective reminder that <strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/benjamin-britten\/"\">Britten<\/a><\/strong> initially intended <\/span><span class=\""s1"\">his best known Christmas work for women\u2019s, not boys\u2019, voices.<\/span><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Spotify\" embed:=\"\" a=\"\" ceremony=\"\" of=\"\" carols=\"\" britten=\"\" choral=\"\" works=\"\" ii=\"\" width=\""100%"\" height=\""380"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\""autoplay;\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" fullscreen=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" src=\""https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/3ee0s8TfRCuJjhp6C9Avkd?utm_source=oembed"\"\/>\n<ul><li><strong><a href=\"\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Britten-Ceremony-Carols-Sixteen\/dp\/B000B86582?tag=classicalm05c-21&ascsubtag=classicalmusic-0"\" target=\""_blank"\" rel=\""sponsored" noopener noreferrer\">Buy from Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><h3 class=\""p3"\"><span class=\""s1"\"><b>Poulenc <\/b><\/span><span class=\""s3"\"><b>Choral works <\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul><li class=\""p3"\"><strong><span class=\""s1"\"><i>Virgin Classics 562 4312<\/i> <\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li class=\""p3"\"><strong><span class=\""s1"\"><i>\u00a311.99<\/i><\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><p class=\""p2"\"><span class=\""s1"\">Admittedly, most of the music on this disc is not festive at all. However, the gorgeous unaccompanied <i>Quatre Motets pour le temps de No\u00ebl<\/i> make it a must to include here.<\/span><\/p>\n<iframe title=\""Spotify\" embed:=\"\" francis=\"\" poulenc:=\"\" choral=\"\" works=\"\" width=\""100%"\" height=\""380"\" frameborder=\""0"\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\""autoplay;\" clipboard-write=\"\" encrypted-media=\"\" fullscreen=\"\" picture-in-picture=\"\" src=\""https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/4KWJPUfYnISTdGKA9yOtyW?utm_source=oembed"\"\/>\n<p><strong><a href=\"\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Francis-Poulenc-Harry-Christophers-Sixteen\/dp\/B01NAQ7LRU?tag=classicalm05c-21&ascsubtag=classicalmusic-0"\" target=\""_blank"\" rel=\""sponsored" noopener noreferrer\">Buy from Amazon<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3 class=\""p1"\"><span class=\""s1"\"><b>Christmas Music from Medieval and Renaissance Europe<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul><li class=\""p1"\"><strong><span class=\""s2"\"><i>Hyperion CDA 66263 <\/i><\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li class=\""p1"\"><strong><span class=\""s2"\"><i>\u00a312.99<\/i><\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul><p class=\""p3"\"><span class=\""s1"\">The likes of <strong><a href=\""https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/thomas-tallis\/"\">Tallis<\/a><\/strong> and Mouton rub shoulders with \u2018Trad.\u2019 and \u2018Anon\u2019 as The Sixteen, in their early days, lead us through the 14th to 16th centuries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-container"\" data-position=\""adhoc"\" hidden=\"\"> <h5 class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-title\" monetizer-title=\"\" style=\""background-color:\" color:=\"\"\/> <div id=\""monetizer__deals"\" data-type=\""price-comparison"\" data-config=\"'{"shopId":"1378","market":"gbp_en","template":"default","searchKeywords":"Christmas\" music=\"\" from=\"\" medieval=\"\"\/> <div class=\""monetizer__price-comparison-explanatory-text\" body-copy-extra-small=\"\" editor-content=\"\"\/><\/div> <p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p><\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By BBC Music Magazine Published: Thursday, 18 November 2021 at 12:00 am The renowned choir The Sixteen, one of the best choirs in the world, is famous for its choral voices and beautiful performances. The choir was founded in 1979 by conductor Harry Christophers, whose formative experience as a cathedral chorister and choral scholar\u00a0 was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":7393,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"2"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/11\/the-sixteens-best-christmas-recordings.jpg",396,296,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/11\/the-sixteens-best-christmas-recordings-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/11\/the-sixteens-best-christmas-recordings-300x224.jpg",300,224,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/11\/the-sixteens-best-christmas-recordings.jpg",396,296,false],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/11\/the-sixteens-best-christmas-recordings.jpg",396,296,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/11\/the-sixteens-best-christmas-recordings.jpg",396,296,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/11\/the-sixteens-best-christmas-recordings.jpg",396,296,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By BBC Music Magazine Published: Thursday, 18 November 2021 at 12:00 am The renowned choir The Sixteen, one of the best choirs in the world, is famous for its choral voices and beautiful performances. The choir was founded in 1979 by conductor Harry Christophers, whose formative experience as a cathedral chorister and choral scholar\u00a0 was…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/7392"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7393"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7392"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7392"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}