The music of Adeste fideles ('O come, all ye faithful') was long attributed to John Francis Wade, but an earlier manuscript version appeared in 1946, suggesting that Wade may have been merely the copyist. Among the various other composers to whom the tune has been speculatively attributed is King John IV of Portugal (1604-56)—'The Musician King', who amassed one of the largest musical libraries in the world—and anonymous Cistercian monks. The version recorded here is one of the numerous carol arrangements by David Willcocks (Director of Music at Kings College Cambridge 1957-74).

from notes by Phillip Borg-Wheeler © 2020