This volume serves as a comprehensive resource for choral ensembles seeking contemporary repertoire to perform during the liturgical season from Advent through Epiphany. The collection was compiled to commemorate the centenary of the Oxford University Press Music Department, gathering fifty new carols that expand upon the established legacy of the previous five volumes. It provides a mix of newly commissioned works and fresh arrangements of traditional melodies, designed to support both accompanied and unaccompanied SATB performances.

Experts and choral directors frequently identify this collection as a standard reference for modern church and concert repertoire. The volume is widely recognized for its utility in providing accessible yet sophisticated material for choirs of varying skill levels.