With a TV and radio audience of millions, the annual broadcast of A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King's College, Cambridge, is an essential Christmas tradition for families all over the world.

This double album faithfully recreates the magic of the service, opening with a lone treble singing 'Once in royal David's city' and closing with a rousing chorus of 'Hark! the herald angels sing'.

Each year the Director of Music at King's,Stephen Cleobury, commissions a new carol. Several of these are included on the album, including carols by Einojuhani Rautavaara, Gabriel Jackson, Brett Dean, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Dominic Muldowney and Tansy Davies. In addition, John Rutter has written the new carol 'All Bells in Paradise' especially for this album.

Disc one:
Once in royal David's city
Bidding Prayer, Lord's Prayer and Blessing
Herefordshire Carol
First Lesson
Adam lay ybounden
A Virgin most pure
Second Lesson
In dulci jubilo
If ye would hear the angels sing
Third Lesson
Sussex Carol
Hymn: God rest you merry, gentlemen
Fourth Lesson
A tender shoot
Det är en ros utsprungen
Fifth Lesson
Hymne à la Vierge
Sunny bank
Sixth Lesson
Mariä Wiegenlied
The holly and the ivy

Disc two:
Seventh Lesson
Hymn: While shepherds watched
Illuminare, Jerusalem
Eighth Lesson
Christmas Carol
Ding! Dong! Merrily on high
Ninth Lesson
Hymn: O come, all ye faithful
Collect and Blessing
Hymn: Hark! the herald angels sing
Organ Voluntary: In dulci jubilo (BWV 729)

Commissioned carols:
The Christ Child (G. Jackson, 2009)
Now comes the dawn (B. Dean, 2007)
Misere' nobis (M-A Turnage, 2006)
Mary (D. Muldowney, 2008)
Christmas Eve (T Davies, 2011)
All bells in paradise (J Rutter)

For more information about the commissioned carols see A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols on the main King's website.