As soon as you hear the special arrangement by Mark Armstrong of Deck the hall which opens this new Christmas recording on the Regent label, you know that you're in for a treat full of pleasant diversions. As a matter of fact, the Sir Christèmas by Bernard Trafford, Three angels by Ben Parry, Glorificamus Deum by Annabel Rooney, St Godric’s Hymn by Gary Higginson, and the Adam lay ybounden by Canadian organist/composer Matthew Larkin are all first recordings. And some of conductor Sarah MacDonald's special arrangements are quite imaginative and effective, especially the innovative arrangement of The holly and the ivy. But most surprising of all and totally news to me, is that Regent Records owner, producer and recording engineer Gary Cole is quite a musician. His arrangement of Away in a manger, with the Girl Choristers singing the main melody and the Lay Clerks weaving a richly textured harmonic tapestry in the background is very nice and polished. Plus there's at least a handful more of carols on this disc that I myself had never heard before.

The recording captures very well the resonant acoustic of Ely Cathedral, and the blend of the high and low voices set against the rich sound of the pipe organ, played here by Aaron Shilson. So if you're looking for a traditional choral Christmas recording that blends the old with the new and provides a refreshing listening experience, this is it.