Carols for Choirs 2

2 

carols 

for 

choirs 

Fifty Carols for 

Christmas and Advent 

Edited and arranged by 

david willcocks & john rutter 

2

carols 

2 


choirs 

for online perusal only 

Fifty Carols for 

Christmas and Advent 

Edited and arranged by 

david willcocks & john rutter 

C

PUBLISHER’S NOTE 

In August 1961, Oxford University Press published a practical, inexpensive new 

collection of carols and Christmas hymns in choral arrangements, with accessible 

orchestrations for many of the items available on hire. This book, Carols for Choirs, 

with its green livery and design of an angel on the cover, soon became one of the 

best-selling carol anthologies of all time. The editors, Reginald Jacques and David 

Willcocks, ensured that the contents would serve concerts and services equally well, 

and that familiar repertoire was complemented with items especially written for the 

collection (four newly composed items were included). One of the book’s features 

was the concept of uniting under one cover all the material that a choir would need 

for their event, and another was the inclusion of an Order of Service for the benefit 

of choirs who modelled their services on the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at 

King’s College, Cambridge. 

for online perusal only 

Such was the book’s success that further volumes followed, with John Rutter 

joining David Willcocks as fellow series editor (Jacques died in 1969). Carols for 

Choirs 2 (1970) again covered a mix of traditional and new, and also included 

material for an Advent service. Carols for Choirs 3 (1978) included simpler 

arrangements, and some unadorned medieval and Baroque items, and Carols 

for Choirs 4 (1980) met the demand for an upper-voice collection. The larger 

compilation 100 Carols for Choirs (1987) contains items from the first three books, 

with twenty-six new inclusions. Carols for Choirs 5 (2011), a collection of fifty carols 

under the editorship of Bob Chilcott and David Blackwell, was published especially 

to mark the first book’s fiftieth anniversary. Collectively, the books have enhanced, 

and in many cases shaped and defined, the Christmas musical experience of many 

thousands of singers, musicians, and listeners for more than fifty years: the Carols for 

Choirs series is used by cathedrals and town-square carol-singers, schools and parish 

churches, and by choral societies and folk simply wishing to enjoy carols in their 

homes. The publishers hope that the series will continue to bring seasonal joy to 

performers and listeners for many years to come. 

Simon Wright 

Music Department, Oxford University Press 

2012 

1 

Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP, 

United Kingdom 

© Oxford University Press 1970 

First reprinted with new Publisher’s Note 2012 

Impression: 22 

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, 

stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, 

without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press 

ISBN 978-0-19-353565-7

for online perusal only






























































































































































































































carols 


choirs 

2 

The volumes of Carols for Choirs have established themselves as the 

quintessential carol books for carol-singers around the world. Each 

volume presents a wide range of carols to suit every occasion, from 

well-known tunes superbly arranged to the best original compositions. 

Carols for Choirs 2 includes: 

• 50 carols for every occasion 

• well-loved tunes in arrangements which have themselves become classics 

• original compositions, including carols by Benjamin Britten, 

William Mathias, and William Walton 

• carols for audience or congregation with varied harmonizations 

and festive descants 

• secular carols suitable for carol concerts 

• an order of service for an Advent Carol Service and a number 

of Advent carols 

• a detailed list of carol orchestrations available on hire/rental 

Also available from Oxford University Press 

World Carols for Choirs, SATB and upper-voice editions 

The Oxford Book of Flexible Carols 

For Him all Stars: 15 carols for upper voices 

Christmas Spirituals for Choirs 

The Ivy and the Holly: 14 contemporary carols 

A Merry Little Christmas: 12 popular classics for choirs 

An Edwardian Carol Book: 12 carols for mixed voices 

1 

www.oup.com 

ISBN 978-0-19-353565-7 

9 780193 535657

Carols for Choirs 2

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