The season of Christmas has always involved a combination of tradition and renewal: the gatherings of family and old friends, the playing of traditional games and the family reminiscences intermingled with the excitement of opening presents and discovering new books and toys; or the celebration of the year about to end mixed with anticipation of the year about to begin.

So it is with Christmas music: the love of traditional carols and songs is equalled by the constant search for new ways to express the Christmas message, or indeed to seek out a new message altogether. Leaving aside the honourable search for a truly authentic manner of performing music from the past, modern composers have sought out the past in two ways. Firstly, by finding new inspiration from poetry composed over the centuries - and in this regard the medieval, often anonymous, poets appear to provide the richest, most evergreen source of material for original compositions. Secondly, by arranging, incorporating or recomposing traditional melodies in a modern context.

And this CD is a collection of the finest examples of both these forms of Christmas music, all created in the 21st century.