notes: Ceremony of Carols

British composer Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) nurtured a special love for Christmas. More than once he was inspired by the festival of light and expectation. His most famous Christmas work, A Ceremony of Carols, became a Christmas hit from its premiere in 1942. The Flemish Radio Choir alternates this classic favourite with well-known and lesser-known Christmas Carols. There is no better instrument than the harp to add lustre to the sometimes subdued and sometimes festive atmosphere of these songs.