Katie Melua came in to the studio and performed three Christmas tracks and it was super festive

19 December 2016, 15:22 | Updated: 22 August 2017, 12:47

For her latest album, In Winter, singer-songwriter Katie Melua enlisted the help of the extraordinary Gori Women’s Choir for an album unlike anything she’d ever done before. And we were lucky enough to get the choir (all 24 of them!) into the studio with Katie to perform live for us

The Carol of the Bells – or The Little Swallow

You might know the tune to this popular Christmas carol, but do you know it’s originally from the Ukraine? Katie and the Gori Women’s Choir sing it in its original Ukrainian here – and the title literally translates as The Little Swallow. Here's their performance, in an arrangement by Katie and Bob Chilcott.

Rachmaninov's Nunc Dimittis

Katie is best know for her haunting pop songs – so Rachmaninov is something of a departure. This arrangement, by Bob Chilcott, of the Nunc Dimittis from the All-Night Vigil is utterly beautiful (check out especially the amazing contraltos of the Gori Women's Choir).

O Holy Night

This carol was voted the Nation’s Favourite Carol in our annual poll in 2014 and little wonder. Just listen to this gorgeous performance, in an arrangement by Bob Chilcott.

Katie Melua and the Gori Women's Choir are on tour this winter around the UK – find out more here. And their album, In Winter, is available to buy now on Amazon and iTunes.

The scores for these SATB arrangements are available to pre-order now from Oxford University Press

Image: PIP/BMG