What a joy it has been to review this recording! Stephen Layton’s reputation as a choirmaster is significant, and listening to this anthology of Christmas music proves the point: the singing of Polyphony is simply superb. It doesn’t get better than this! What of the music? Clive Osgood’s list of compositions includes a range of works for choirs, with an emphasis on the church. While he writes in the classical tradition, there are clearly other influences at work, notably Latin American and Jazz styles and forms. This collection of Christmas music consists of five unaccompanied carols and five arrangements of carols, for choir and orchestra, the original tunes and texts taken from the sixteenth-century collection Piae Cantiones. I particularly enjoyed the tonality and rhythmic vitality of the first group of pieces, brilliantly interpreted by Polyphony, though I was also impressed by Osgood’s imaginative instrumentations. My one regret? That there is only 25 minutes of music. Very highly recommended!