The Choir of Royal Holloway, directed by Rupert Gough, with Prunella Scales and Timothy West.

The Choir of Royal Holloway is one of the finest mixed-voice collegiate choirs in Britain. Its first recording on Edition Peters Sounds brings together the music, atmosphere and ethos of Christmas at Royal Holloway in the Chapel, celebrating with both sacred and secular music.

The album presents a broad mix of old and new complete with contemporary arrangements of familiar carols and pieces the Baltic states. Several pieces have not been recorded before, including an upper voice setting of William Blake’s The Lamb by American composer George Whitefield Chadwick. New contemporary arrangements include Away in a manger by the Norwegian-born composer Ola Gjeilo. There are three arrangements by Royal Holloway musicians: O little one sweet (by a Royal Holloway choral scholar), Silent Night (by Rupert Gough) and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by a former choral scholar. Also previously unrecorded are original compositions by James Burton and Rihards Dubra.

Watch a YouTube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6YztXDdEdw