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Sir David Willcocks, who died in September 2015 at the age of 95, is probably best known as Director of Music at King’s College, Cambridge, from 1957 to 1974; he was subsequently Director of the Royal College of Music, and was conductor for many years of The Bach Choir. Since the 1960s, his iconic arrangements of favourite Christmas carols have become an essential part of the festive season, through the annual broadcast of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s, through recordings, and through the books of ‘Carols for Choirs’ which he edited and to which he contributed many carol arrangements - now known and loved by choirs around the world.
In this memorial tribute to an inspirational and well-loved musician, Saint Michael’s Singers of Coventry Cathedral perform a selection of the best of David Willcocks’ carol arrangements together with some new compositions and arrangements from ‘Carols for Choirs’ vol.5.
Saint Michael’s Singers, an auditioned choir of some 90 voices, was formed in 1963 shortly after the consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral, and performs in concerts in Coventry and around the Midlands, as well as in broadcasts and recordings.
| 1. | ‘O come, all ye faithful’ (J.F.Wade, arr. David Willcocks) |
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| 2. | ‘Of the Father's heart begotten’ (Piae Cantiones, arr. David Willcocks) |
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| 3. | ‘A child is born in Bethlehem’ (Scheidt, ed. David Willcocks) |
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| 4. | ‘Sans Day Carol’ (Cornish trad., arr. John Rutter) |
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| 5. | ‘Tomorrow shall be my dancing day’ (English trad., arr. David Willcocks) |
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| 6. | ‘Once in royal David’s city’ (H.J. Gauntlett, arr. David Willcocks) |
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| 7. | ‘Infant holy, Infant lowly’ (Polish trad., arr. David Willcocks) |
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| 8. | ‘Hark! the herald-angels sing’ (Mendelssohn, arr. David Willcocks) |
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| 9. | ‘Away in a manger’ (W.J. Kirkpatrick, arr. David Willcocks) |
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| 10. | ‘Ding dong! merrily on high’ (16th century French, arr. David Willcocks) |
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| 11. | ‘Whence is that goodly fragrance flowing?’ (French trad., arr. David Willcocks) |
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| 12. | ‘God rest you merry, gentlemen’ (English trad., arr. David Willcocks) |
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| 13. | ‘This endris night’ (World Première recording) (15th century English, adapted Z. Randall Stroope) |
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| 14. | ‘The First Nowell’ (English trad., arr. David Willcocks) |
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| 15. | ‘Silent Night’ (F. Gruber, arr. Paul Leddington Wright) |
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| 16. | The Bell Carol (Philip Ledger) |
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| 17. | ‘Unto us is born a Son’ (Piae Cantiones, arr. David Willcocks) |
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| 18. | ‘Wassail’ (World Première recording) (English trad., Jonathan Willcocks) |
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| 19. | ‘Jingle Bells’ (J. Pierpont, arr. David Willcocks) |
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EMR CD028 | INTERNATIONAL
RECORD REVIEW