CHRISTMAS AT DOWNTON ABBEY to Be Released 11/17, Now Available for Pre-Order

Carnival Films, producers of Downton Abbey, together with Warner Bros. Records today confirm the release of Christmas at Downton Abbey, an official collection of festive hymns and classic carols evoking a simpler time, from the much loved, award-winning television series.

The 45-track double CD includes seven exclusive recordings by members of the cast. Elizabeth McGovern who plays the Countess of Grantham sings 'It Came Upon A Midnight Clear' and performs a duet of 'The First Noel' with fellow co-star Julian Ovenden who plays Charles Blake.

Fans may already know that when not playing the part of Cora, Elizabeth performs regularly with her acclaimed folk band Sadie and the Hotheads. Earlier this year they played a special gig at Highclere Castle (where DOWNTON ABBEY is filmed), to mark THE 100 year anniversary of the First World War.

Elizabeth said: "It was so exciting for me to have been given the opportunity to sing two songs in a totally different context to that which I'm accustomed. Without my guitar, without my band! And I didn't write them! But thank heaven for the extraordinary talent and expertise of Julian Ovenden, The Budapest City Orchestra & The Budapest Choral Voices, Kipper Eldridge, Nick Patrick and the Warner Brothers production team. I'm very proud to be a part of this album."

Julian Ovenden, also a professional singer and musical performer in his own right, delivers a solo rendition of 'O Holy Night', 'Sussex Carol' and 'Silent Night'. He also performs the 'Twelve Days of Christmas' as a duet up-an-coming classical singer Katie Marshall.

Julian said: "I'm a huge music fan and like Elizabeth I have a separate music career that runs alongside the acting. To do this album is therefore a massive honour and something I've really enjoyed doing.
Mr. Carson (played by Jim Carter) delivers a spoken word piece. His rendition of the Christmas poem'T'was The Night Before Christmas' is captivating and evocative.

For an extra Downton touch composer John Lunn, who wrote the DOWNTON ABBEY Theme Song, haspenned a new & exclusive extended seasonal suite version of the DOWNTON ABBEY Theme music andPart 1 & Part 2 open each disc. This has been exclusively recorded by The Budapest City Orchestra And The Budapest Choral Voices.

The rest of the album is made up 36 classic Christmas carols from the huge Warner Music classics' archive, including 'Dame Kiri Te Kanawa,' 'Good King Wenceslas,' the Choir Of Kings College,

Cambridge'In The Bleak Midwinter,' 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,' 'Oh Come, All Ye Faithful,'Alexander Lazarev 'March from The Nutcraker Suite' and many more.

Christmas at Downton Abbey is available to pre-order now and will be released on November 10th.

The album is also going be available internationally via Warner Music Group affiliates in

DOWNTON ABBEY key markets. Clickhere to pre-order.

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Track listing:

Disc 1:

1. The Budapest City Orchestra and The Budapest Choral Voices - The Downton Christmas Suite

Pt.1

2. Julian Ovenden - O Holy Night

3. Elizabeth McGovern - It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

4. Elizabeth McGovern & Julian Ovenden - The First Noel

5. Julian Ovenden - The Sussex Carol

6. Julian Ovenden & Katie Marshall -12 Days Of Christmas

7. Julian Ovenden - Slient Night

8. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa - We Wish You A Merry Christmas

9. Choir Of Kings College, Cambridge - In The Bleak Midwinter

10. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa - Oh, Little Town Of Bethlehem

11. Choir Of Kings College, Cambridge - Once In Royal Davids City

12. Choir Of Kings College, Cambridge - Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

13. Choir Of Kings College, Cambridge - Oh Come, All Ye Faithful

14. William Christie - Charpentier Messe de Minuit pour Noel, Kyrie

15. Choir Of Kings College, Cambridge - Ding Dong! Merrily On High

16. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa - Good King Wenceslas

17. Choir Of Kings College, Cambridge - While Shepherds Watched

18. Choir Of Kings College, Cambridge - Away in a manger

19. Choir Of Kings College, Cambridge - In Dulci Jubilo

20. Libera - Panis Angelicus

21. Il Giardino Armonico - Christmas Concerto 1st Movement, Vivaldi

22. Alexander Lazarev - Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcraker Suite

23. Jim Carter - Twas The Night Before Christmas

Disc 2:

1. The Budapest City Orchestra and The Budapest Choral Voices - The Downton Christmas Suite Pt.2

2. Joel Cohen - Joy To The World

3. Choir Of Kings College, Cambridge - God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen

4. Choir Of Kings College, Cambridge - Angels, From The Realms Of Glory

5. Nikolaus Harnoncourt - Handel Messiah Hallelujah Chorus

6. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa - The Holly and the Ivy

7. Thomas Hampson - Go, Tell It On The Mountain

8. Alexander Lazarev - March from The Nutcraker Suite

9. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa - Tannenbaum

10. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa - I Saw Three Ships

11. Carleton Etherington & Benjamin Nicholas - When Christ Was Born Of Mary Free

12. Choir Of Kings College, Cambridge - Adam Lay Ybounden

13. Choir Of Kings College, Cambridge - The First Nowell

14. Andrew Parrot, Taverner Choir & Taverner Consort - We Three Kings Of Orient Are

15. Choir Of Kings College, Cambridge - O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

16. Ralph Allwood, Rodolfus Choir & Sam Jenkins - I Sing The Birth

17. William Christie - Noels sur les Instruments

18. Joel Cohen - Nouvelles, Nouvelles

19. Joel Cohen - Chantons Noel, Menons Joyeuse Vie

20. Choir Of Kings College, Cambridge - The Three Kings

21. Nikolaus Harnoncourt - O Thou Tellest Good Tidings to Zion

22. Claudio Scimone - Christmas Concerto 3rd Movement, Corelli