I love many popular yet traditional carols.
For me, my favourite may be the Coventry Carol, simply beautiful harmonies, and often sends a shiver down my spine.
Found a nice version on this:
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Oh come, oh come Emmanuel , the simplicity especially if sung by a boy soprano
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Beautiful, I must confess I’m not familiar at all with that. Mrs AC knows it as she went to a Church school.
Qobuz/Tidal searches only turned up rather modern interpretations. Any recommendations for recordings?
Found this on YouTube:
I tend to associate with the service of Nine Lessons and Carols where it is often the first hymn rather than a specific singer
Thank you Ian - when I was young our family were Welsh Chapel goers with fire and brimstone minsters, passion and gorgeous hymns sung in Welsh - Anglican (I hope) services are somehwat unfamiliar to me, which is perhaps why I don’t know this well.
Beautiful, peaceful and calming, thank you Malla.
Before the one you note I found this which is probably older but somehwat haunting:
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The problem with fire and brimstone it gets in the way of love and kindness …
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I may be exaggerating, perhaps it was just the oratory style of the minister of whom I have only the fondest memories, but love and kindness, as well as humanity were there in abundance.
My maternal grandfather was a deacon at the chapel, my parents were baptised and married there.
My maternal grandmother was a great cook. The minister, his family and others generally retired to my grandmother’s for tea and exceptional cakes after most services - a tad boring for me as a young lad who had to keep quiet, but fond memories nonetheless.
I look at recent online photos of the chapel in disbelief and sadness - railings stolen, vandalised windows, leaking roofs and rotting pews.
Just mixed the sound for a big carol service and this was my favourite song
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Classic FM’s 2018 list - 2019 voting due in a few days…
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What a great shame. Churches are so much more than just buildings, they are places where we have some of darkest moments and best
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Enya singing silent night
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Can’t really choose, but In the bleak midwinter a capella is my current favourite with these two runner ups:
This is the book:
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Interestingly I purchased this a few years ago - it ended up in storage and hasn’t seen much use as yet - I can’t find it now, but saw it somewhere a week or two ago!
I wonder if it’s a compilation of books 1 and 2 of the version you have?
edit:
Well there’s a coincidence given Ian2001’s comments above about the service of Nine Lessons and Carols - the Amazon write-up for the book I purchased says:
74 of the most popular items from Carols for Choirs 1, 2 and 3 in one volume, plus 26 pieces new to the series. The volume contains both accompanied and unaccompanied items, and the Order of Service for a Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. Orchestral and brass ensemble accompaniments for many of the items are available on hire.
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I must have that one somewhere as well. I have stacks of songbooks all over the place from various countries. No appearance of one of my own melodies yet unfortunately 
Regarding John Rutter, Last week my little church choir sang his Christmas Lullaby. Always rewarding music.
Got this as a present last year:
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Treble
Well I prefer epiphany… ‘as with gladness men of old’
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Good to see the comma after Merry.