This collection contains 122 carols in 173 different settings selected from the New Oxford Book of Carols. They are a carefully chosen mixture of popular and unknown material, in straightforward settings designed for the widest possible use. Each item is accompanied by a short note on its historical background and performance. The emphasis is on a fresh approach to the carol, with exciting new versions of familiar and unfamiliar material. The simple and authentic settings vividly evoke the original spirit of the carol and the native vigour of a tradition that's sometimes been debased and sentimentalized.