Carols for Choirs

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Carols for Choirs, published by Oxford University Press, edited by Sir David Willcocks with Reginald Jacques and John Rutter, is the most widely-used source of carols (predominantly Christmas carols, though some are for Easter) in the British Anglican tradition, and among British choral societies.

There are four books in the original series and a portmanteau book published later. They contain the most commonly performed carols and their harmony arrangements, with descants from the editors (mainly Willcocks) which have become the de facto standard descants for these tunes in the Anglican communion in the UK. The four book set are usually referred to by the colours of their covers, with the green and orange books being the most widely used.

Although many writers have arranged and composed descants for Christmas carols, it is the arrangements from Carols for Choirs which are frequently used at such carol services as the Nine Lessons and Carols from King's College, Cambridge.

The publishers, Oxford University Press, have in recent years expanded the series with volumes appropriate for other church seasons, e.g. Advent for Choirs and Epiphany to All Saints for Choirs.