Best Classical Christmas Recordings

by Daniel McAdam

I freely admit that there are personal motives for putting together this list.  Having just survived a Christmas season in which every department store and supermarket in America seemed intent on playing the absolute worst Christmas music known to man (do they sing off-key intentionally, to try to sound jazzy?), the charitable thought occurred to me that perhaps persons who select Christmas music for such establishments simply don't know any better. 

Now, there's no excuse.  All of the recommended CD's listed below contain great classical Christmas music; perfect for home listening, perfect for the car, perfect for the iPod, perfect anywhere:

1. Carols From Trinity - The Choir of Trinity College, 2-CD set
2. O Come All Ye Faithful: Christmas Carols at King's College, Cambridge
3. Christmas with the Academy - Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields
4. The Holly and the Ivy: Carols from Claire College
5. Noel: Christmas at Kings - Another 2-CD set
6. The John Rutter Christmas Album
7. A Robert Shaw Christmas - Angels on High
8. Joy to the World - Eugene Ormandy, Philadelphia Orchestra
9. A Festival of Carols in Brass
10. Sing We Christmas - Chanticleer
11. Bach - Christmas Oratorio / Gardiner
12. Handel - Messiah / Ameling · A. Reynolds · Langridge · Howell · Marriner
13. The Baroque Christmas Album
14. Renaissance: Music for Inner Peace (Not specifically Christmas, but calming at Christmas)
15. Wolcum Yule: Celtic and British Songs and Carols
16. Legends of St. Nicholas: Medieval Chant & Polyphony
17. A Renaissance Christmas
18. Waverly Consort Christmas
19. English Medieval Christmas
20. A Medieval Christmas
21. Medieval Carols
22. Christmas Carols from Tewkesbury Abbey
23. Sing We Noel - Mark Baker, et al
24. French Christmas Music
25. En la Fete de Noel/O Holy Night

 Most of these recordings are reasonably priced.  Happy Holidays!

 

 

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Of interest . . .