Twenty-nine carols arranged by Robert Shaw and Alice Parker, and sung by the forty-nine member Robert Shaw Chamber Singers. Many English, but some French, Spanish, Italian, German and the occasional American carol are included. In broad terms, carols were popular songs, and the original definition referred to a type of dance; remember, too, that Christmas was an adaptation of various pagan celebrations, an influence that can certainly be discerned in carols such as "Masters In This Hall," the sprightly rhythms of which are not meant to be listened to sitting down. Robert Shaw's various classical vocal ensembles are considered to be some of the finest in the world, and under his direction, earned many Grammy's and international acclaim.