This is very much a book for choirs. You will not find congregational-style carols here: stick to its predecessors for those. What you will find is a selection full of 'vibrancy, energy, and diversity', using the words of the editors. All pieces but one are by living composers, mostly from the UK and North America. This fills me with excitement. Parish choirs and cathedral choirs have plenty to draw on, but there is also music for choral society, community choir, youth choir, and something more challenging for my auditioned chamber choir for the festive season. * Ben Swayer, RSCM, September 2023 *

Bob Chilcott has been involved with choral music all his life, first as a Chorister and then a Choral Scholar at King's College, Cambridge. Later, he sang and composed music for 12 years with the King's Singers. His experiences with that group, his passionate commitment to young and amateur choirs, and his profound belief that music can unite people, have inspired him both to compose full-time and, through proactive workshopping, to promote choral music worldwide. Renowned for his fine musicianship, David Hill MBE is widely respected as both a choral and orchestral conductor. His talent has been recognised by his appointments as Musical Director of The Bach Choir, Music Director of Leeds Philharmonic Society, Associate Guest Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Principal Conductor of Yale Schola Cantorum, and International Chair in Choral Conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music. He was Chief Conductor of the BBC Singers from September 2007 to September 2017. Previously he has been Director of Music at Westminster and Winchester Cathedrals and at St John's College, Cambridge.