REVIEW: Carols for Choir 5, Ed. Blackwell/Chilcott
28 October 2011, Matthew Greenall
It is 50
years this Christmas since the first publication of Carols for Choirs by OUP. Few,
if any, would question the importance of this publication in setting the agenda
for Christmas services and carol concerts in the decades since. Its mix of
traditional favourites, arrangements and new compositions – mostly sourced from
the UK but encompassing Europe, America and beyond – has been the benchmark
ever since. It is however, nearly a quarter century since the publication of
the last book in the series, 100 Carols for Choirs, so this new volume is
keenly anticipated.
Editors David Blackwell and Bob Chilcott clearly see little point in disrupting a successful formula, so the range and difficulty level of the contents will be familiar. Among the 50 items are simple congregational carols, including touching re-harmonisations of classics like Away in the Manger (Alan Bullard). There are some snazzy descants, which may not displace the best of Willcocks but are nice alternatives to have, and striking new versions of carols one had imagined done to death, such as Andrew Simpson’s engaging take on I saw three ships. If anything, the balance by comparison with Carols 1 to 4 seems to favour new composition, with a whole fresh roster of composers brought on board – there are outstanding pieces by Howard Skempton (Adam lay ybounden) and Gabriel Jackson (The Christ Child), among others. Links with past volumes are honoured however, and there are items new to the series from David Willcocks, Philip Ledger and John Rutter, whose lovely 2006 carol New Year is a mini-masterclass of fine writing in itself. Carols for Choirs 5 is a high quality publication that fully maintains the standards of this illustrious series. Not everyone will like the spiral binding, but if you don’t, go out and buy the paperback version instead.