The King’s Singers have a few Christmas CDs under their
belt, but this is their first DVD. It was recorded (on an unspecified
date) under studio conditions in LSO St Luke’s, so it’s
properly a performance for the camera. Their singing is as lovely
as ever, smooth and mellifluous with a good feel for dynamic
movement and a peerless blend. The arrangements are mostly very
good too, and they’re often done by past or present members
of the group. I loved the settings of the French La peregrinaçion
and the Catalan El niño querido but was less enamoured
with the re-workings of Joy to the World and Noël
Nouvelet, where the rhythms and harmonies jarred as much
as they blended. They are at their best when they sing classic
arrangements purely and clearly, such as O little one sweet
or the lovely Born on a new day. There are also a few
endearingly madcap arrangements to lighten the texture, such
as Jingle Bells and Deck the hall, which perhaps
goes a little over the top!
It’s a very good selection but, barring the advanced sound
options, I’m not convinced that it works as a DVD, mainly
because there is so little to look at. When they decide to manufacture
something to look at it often manifests itself as something
fairly naff, like standing around a Christmas tree wearing scarves.
The best example of this mismatch is The Little Drummer Boy,
a beautiful arrangement accompanied by some fairly daft images.
This shouldn’t put anyone off, though. Even if you watch
it with the picture turned off, this is still a solid, well-rounded
festive disc. The brief extra feature, Life as a King’s
Singer, contains interviews with each member of the group
about their auditions and their experience in the group.
Simon Thompson
Track listing
1. - Veni, veni Emmanuel - Traditional arr. Philip Lawson
2. - Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen - Michael Praetorius
3. - Rise up, shepherd, and follow - Traditional arr. Carl Davis
4. - Lullay my liking - Philip Lawson
5. - Gaudete - Traditonal arr. Brian Kay
6. - There is a flower - John Rutter
7. - Noël nouvelet - Traditional arr. Philip Lawson
8. - Villançico Catalan - Traditional arr. Goff Richards
9. - O little one sweet - Tradtional harmonised J.S.Bach
10. - La peregrinaçon - Traditional Peter Knight
11. - Stille Nacht - Franz Gruber / Josef Mohr arr. John Rutter
12. - Joy to the world - Lowell Mason / Isaac Watts arr. Philip
Lawson
13. - El niño querido - Traditional arr. Goff Richards
14. - Born on a new day - John David arr. Peter Knight &
Philip Lawson
15. - Jingle Bells - James Lord Pierpont arr. Gordon Langford
16. - Christmas song - Mel Tormé / Robert Wells arr.
Peter Knight
17. - God rest you merry gentlemen - Tradtional arr. Geoffrey
Keating
18. - The little drummer boy - Katharine Davis / Henry Onorati
/ Harry Simone / arr. John McCarthy
19. - Deck the hall - Tradtional / Thomas Oliphant arr. Gordon
Langford
Running time for music [53:09]
Running time for extras [9:19]
The King’s Singers 
[53:09] 
