N. Temperley: Christmas Is Coming:

For over fifty years he hassung, edited and composed carols each Christmas, and in Christmas is Coming the fruit of his enthusiasm is combined with his wealth of knowledge to produce an outstanding and original new collection. As John Rutter observesin his Foreword, the book does not pointlessly duplicate what can be found in many other carol books, but has a personality and purpose of its own.

Twenty-two fresh and practical arrangements include carols fromAustria,France, Germany, Mexico, Poland and the USA, alongside music both rare and familiar from the rich heritage of the English carol tradition. As well as eight of his personal favourites, from J. S. Bach to Charles Ives, theauthor includes seven new compositions of his own, settings of medieval and traditional texts that reveal his skill as a choral composer whose command of style ranges from the humorous to the profound.

In addition to sampleprogrammes and translations, there are invaluable notes on the performance and history of individual items, plus an historical summary of the genre as a whole: everything in fact to make Christmas is Coming an indispensablecompanion for singers who wish to enrich the seasonal repertoire for concerts, churches and traditional Yuletide carolling.