New Christmas Album Coming Soon

We’re delighted to share news of John Rutter’s first Christmas album for several years. A Cambridge Christmas comprises 30 pieces of music by John Rutter and other composers, including Peter Warlock, G.P da Palestrina and Elizabeth Poston, along with arrangements by David Willcocks, John Rutter, Christopher Robinson, and others.

The album features a mix of new pieces and arrangements from the last few years, along with some well-loved Christmas favourites, performed by The Cambridge Singers and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by John Rutter.

John writes:

“Carols and the music of Christmas are like a golden thread that has run through my whole life. At heart I am still that little choirboy for whom my school or church carol service was a high point of the whole singing year.”

A Cambridge Christmas will be released on Friday 30th October 2026 across all digital streaming platforms, and will be available to buy as a 2-CD set from 6th November 2026.

The two-CD release is arranged into two themes: CD 1: The Peace of Christmas and CD 2: The Joy of Christmas, and Beyond. The full track listing can be found below:

CD 1: The Peace of Christmas 

• Was I the lamb? – John Rutter 
• All the stars looked down – John Rutter
• Bethlehem Down – Peter Warlock 
• Away in a manger – Edward T. Chapman  
• Hush! my dear, lie still and slumber – French traditional carol, arranged by David Willcocks
•  Christ our Emmanuel – John Rutter
•  Cradle Song – Flemish traditional carol, arranged by John Rutter
•  Lute-book lullaby – 16th-century English carol
•  O magnum mysterium – G. P. da Palestrina 
•  Infant holy, infant lowly – Polish traditional carol, arranged by John Rutter
•  I sing of a maiden – John Rutter
•  La Berceuse – Barbara Bell (b. 1957), arranged by John Rutter
•  Es ist ein’ Ros’ entsprungen – German traditional carol, arranged by John Rutter
•  Quelle est cette odeur agréable? – French traditional carol, arranged by David Willcocks
•  Blake’s Lullaby – John Rutter
•  Love came down at Christmas – John Rutter

CD 2: The Joy of Christmas, and Beyond

• Up! good Christen folk, and listen – Piae Cantiones (1582), arranged by G. R. Woodward
•  Hodie Christus natus est – G. P. da Palestrina
•  Hereford Carol – English traditional carol, arranged by Christopher Robinson
•  The holly and the ivy – Matthew Owens (b. 1972)
•  The Colours of Christmas – John Rutter
•  Sussex Carol – English traditional carol, arranged by David Willcocks
•  In dulci jubilo – Old German carol, arranged by H. Praetorius
•  Christmas Child – John Rutter
•  King Jesus hath a garden – Dutch traditional carol, arranged by John Rutter    
•  The Jolly Shepherd – John Rutter

Beyond Christmas: Visions and legends

•  Joseph’s Carol – John Rutter
•  The Crown of Roses – P. I. Tchaikovsky, arranged by Geoffrey Shaw
•  The Linden Tree – German traditional carol, arranged by John Rutter
•  Jesus Christ the apple tree – Elizabeth Poston