First published in 1961, the Carols for Choirs series has for many singers become synonymous with the Christmas season, used in festive concerts and services across the world. While many things have changed since that first edition, one thing has remained constant: the illustrated angel on the cover. We did some investigating in the archives recently to uncover the history of the Carols for Choirs angel, looking at how it came about and how it has evolved over the past 60 years.
1998: A new angel
A new design, with the famous Carols for Choirs angel returned to prominence, was commissioned in 1998 as part of celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the music department. This is the illustration we still use today. The new covers also featured a white textured background and a glowing white outline around the illustration, as well as an updated font. It appears there were several hundred copies printed of a special red leather-bound edition of 100 Carols for Choirs in the same year.
You left ‘u’ out of ‘buy’. Above, and to the left.