 Covers of the original editions of Carols for Choirs post 1970 | |
| Editors | Sir David Willcocks, Reginald Jacques, John Rutter and Bob Chilcott |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Alfred Daniels; John Grandidge |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
Publication date | 1961 (Vol 1) |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (paperback) |
| Pages | 360 (Vol 1) |
| ISBN | 9780193532229 (Vol 1) |
| Website | Carols for Choirs on OUP.com |
Carols for Choirs is a collection of choral scores, predominantly of Christmas carols and hymns, first published in 1961 by Oxford University Press. It was edited by Sir David Willcocks and Reginald Jacques, and is a widely used source of carols in the British Anglican tradition and among British choral societies.[1] A second volume was published in 1970, edited by David Willcocks and John Rutter, and the collection is now available in six volumes. A compendium edition was published later. In addition to music for Christmas, the collection also offers works that are suitable for other Christian festivals such as Advent and Epiphany.
The books contain commonly performed carols and their harmony arrangements, with descants from the editors (mainly Willcocks) which have become the de facto standard descants for these tunes in the Anglican communion in the UK. Most of the arrangements were originally written for use by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge or the Bach Choir in London.
- ^ Whiteley, Sheila, ed. (2008). Christmas, Ideology and Popular Culture. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. p. 96. ISBN 9780748631872.