Carols from Trinity

This absolutely essential Christmas collection is actually a combination of two Trinity College Choir recordings originally released separately under the titles "Carols from Trinity" and "A Child Is Born," the latter of which is still offered as a single CD. This two-disc set is a great value, both financially and musically. Here are 53 of the finest, most popular, best-loved, and best-sung Christmas carols, anthems, and motets from medieval times to the present, performed and recorded in the wonderful acoustic space of the Trinity College Chapel. Unlike the choirs of Trinity's famous Cambridge neighbors, King's and St. John's colleges--which consist entirely of men and boys, Trinity is a mixed ensemble with female sopranos and altos. The tone, blend, and balance are exquisite and the combination of the three stands as an ideal, and the choir's ensemble technique and musicianship are unsurpassed. --David Vernier