Carols for Choirs 6

PREFACE
The Carols for Choirs series began in 1961 with the publication of a new, fresh, and
practical collection of Christmas carols and hymns, edited by Reginald Jacques and
Sir David Willcocks. The second volume, which was edited by Sir David Willcocks
and John Rutter, followed nine years later in 1970, and there is no doubt that these
two volumes did much to define the content and stylistic tone of Christmas services
and concerts for choirs all over the world. They also brought a wider audience to the
work of many composers and arrangers, presenting new carol settings alongside new
versions of traditional Christmas tunes. Three more volumes and 100 Carols for Choirs
followed, and sixty-two years later, coinciding with the hundredth anniversary of
the Music Department at Oxford University Press, we have been fortunate enough
to have the opportunity to extend this great series further, with Carols for Choirs 6.
for online perusal only
In this collection of fifty new pieces we have looked to reflect the vibrancy, energy,
and diversity currently thriving in the choral world at large. As well as including
the work of many well-established composers from both the United Kingdom and
North America, we have aimed to bring a wealth of new names into the collection.
Our thanks go out to all these composers, who through their work have given us
an opportunity to present a broad scope of Christmas music that we hope will be
engaging and inspiring for both choirs and audiences in the years to come.
We would also like to thank Robyn Elton, Head of Publishing at Oxford University
Press Music Department, and Jonathan Cunliffe for his work in overseeing the
editing. Thanks are also due to Dr André Thomas, whose advice was so helpful to
us in the early stages of the publication. Finally we would like to thank John Rutter,
who has not only contributed so much to the success of the Carols for Choirs series,
but has also offered his continued support in a way that has helped us to move it
forward with confidence and energy.
Bob Chilcott and David Hill
Oxford
July 2023
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