Nova! Nova! Joy to the World!

Featuring

Rufus Frowde
David Temple
Hertfordshire Chorus
William Holford
Anonymous (Christmas)
Franz Xaver Gruber

Anonymous (Gregorian Chant)
George Ratcliffe Woodward
Roby Furley Davis
Robert Lucas Pearsall
Anonymous (Traditional)

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Recording & Production

This recording was made at the Church of St Jude-on-the-Hill, Hampstead, London, on July 16, 2022, and February 4, 2023.

Performer Biography

David Temple, the conductor of Hertfordshire Chorus, was awarded the MBE for services to music in 2018 and has been the Chorus's Musical Director since 2000.

Composition History

The origin of Christmas carols is debated, with some tracing them back to pre-Christian songs and others to the 13th-century Nativity plays by St Francis of Assisi.

Composer Biography

Louis Halsey, who arranged all the carols on this recording, studied music at Cambridge as an alto Choral Scholar in King's College Choir under Boris Ord.

Performer Biography

Hertfordshire Chorus, one of the UK's symphonic choruses, performs a wide range of music from classical to jazz, music theatre, games music, and rock.

Performer Biography

Rufus Frowde, the organist on this recording, is the Organist and Assistant Director of Music at the Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace, since 2003.

Compositional Technique

Many carols, including those on this album, were passed down orally through generations, leading to adaptations, arrangements, and rearrangements before they were written down and published.