Christmas music in London
 

Each year people on the forum write of the pleasure of Christmas music in churches, colleges and elsewhere in London. I agree, so I have compiled a list. Not just for the mind: mince pies and even Christmas lunch are listed.

Welcome to London.

Ben Haines

Saturday 4th December
1930. ‘A Spotless Rose’, composed by Herbert Howells (1892 - 1983), by the Giltspur Chamber Choir. Tickets on door. St Sepulchre without Newgate. Chancery Lane tube
1930. Christmas music from Handel's Messiah. Thames Philharmonic Choir; Thames Festival Orchestra; Conductor: John Bate. Rachel Chapman: soprano. Alison Renvoize: alto. Graham Webber: tenor. Timothy Dawkins: bass. Tickets (including programme) : 18, 15, 10, 5 pounds (restricted view). Concessions: 14.50, 12, 8 pounds. Box Office: 020 8998 3529. Online ticket reservation: www.thamesphilchoir.org.uk. Southwark Cathedral. London Bridge tube

Sunday 5th December
1830. Handel’s Messiah, Christmas music. St Bride’s Fleet Street. Blackfriars tube
1830. Christians, Jews and Muslims in an act of solidarity with those living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. World AIDS Day Service. Southwark Cathedral. London Bridge tube

Monday 6th December
1300. Concert – The Chancery Singers. St Martin Ludgate. St Paul’s tube
Tuesday 7th December
1730. University College London Student Union's 6th Annual Charity Concert. Traditional Santa’s Grotto, Carol Singers, Jugglers and Bongo Players. Also mince pies and mulled wine in return for a small donation to UNICEF. Main Quad, University College London. Euston Square tube
1930. Concert. The Heavens are telling - FJ Haydn. Ave Verum Corpus - WA Mozart. Te Deum Laudamus - FJ Haydn. O Magnum Mysterium - TL de Victoria. The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came (Basque carol). Ye Shepherds, Leave Your Flocks (trad). I Saw A Maiden (Basque carol). Rejoice And Be Merry (trad). Deck The Halls (trad). Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto . Tickets five pounds (no concessions) from the London School of Economics Students Union Music Society between 1:00pm and 2:00pm. London School of Economics, Holborn tube. Concert in St Clement Danes Church, Strand. Temple tube
1930. Handel Birthday Ode. Corelli ChristmasConcerto. Bach Magnificat. The Choir of Westminster Abbey and The English Concert. Westminster Abbey

Wednesday 8th December
1305. Christmas Concert – Great Hall, Goldsmiths College. News Cross Gate tube
1830 Handel’s Messiah, Christmas music. St Paul’s Cathedral Choir and Chorus and City of London Sinfonia. Free. Please send a stamped addressed envelope to The Chapter House, St Paul's Churchyard, London EC4M 8AD. St Pauls Cathedral

1305. Helena Dix, Soprano. Shaw Library, Old Building, London School of Economics, Holborn tube
Thursday 9th December
1315. Piano Trio in F minor (1883) op 65, by Antonin Dvorak. Professor David Bogle (Chemical Engineering), violin. Haldane Room, University College London. Euston square tube
1315. Elizabeth Nevrkla (UCLH Great Ormond Street), cello, Professor Emeritus Nicolas Coldstream (Classical Archaeology), piano. University College London. Euston square tube
1830. Concert for Peace. A collection of choral and instrumental pieces from the students of Goldsmiths College (Fundraising event: Tickets 10 pounds). St Ethelburga’s Bishopsgate. Liverpool Street tube
1830. Fanfare for Christmas. A programme of Christmas music, carols and readings. London Orpheus Choir. Tickets 12 pounds (10 pounds concessions). 020 8667 9443. In support of Phab, a national charity dedicated to promoting the coming together of disabled and non-disabled people for an integrated and inclusive society. St James Piccadilly. Piccadilly Circus tube

Friday 10th December
1830 Traditional English Music. National Portrait Gallery. Leicester Square tube
1830 Sankta Lucia Service, a service in the Swedish tradition, with light. Tickets at 6 to 30 pounds from the Swedish Church in London [email protected] or from John Woolfenden, 32 Calonne Road, London SW19 5HJ. St Pauls Cathedral

Saturday 11th December
1900. Concert - The Orpheus Singers (tickets on door). Temple Church. Temple tube
1900. Popular seasonal music to include movements from Tchaikovsky s Nutcracker Suite and favourite carols for audience. London Charity Orchestra, Conductor Claudia Wilton. Pegasus, Conductor Matthew Altham. 15,10, 7.50 pounds (concs) from Crisis events, 020 7426 3852, [email protected] www.crisis.org.uk/. For credit debit card payment or on the door cash or cheques only. St James Piccadilly. Piccadilly Circus tube
2000. Programme includes works by Schutz, Part, Gabrielli, and Poulenc. New London Chamber Choir. Tickets (at the door) 10 pounds. St Marylebone Church, Euston Road, NW1 Baker Street tube
2000. Local Event organised by the Oxford & Cambridge Musical Club. Concerto workshop. Admission free to UCL Chamber Music Club members. More information. Housman Room, University College London. Euston Square tube

Sunday 12th December
1830. Sing Noel! - a concert of Christmas music for choir and audience. City of London Chamber Choir - Christopher Field (conductor) with David Hirst (organ). St Bartholomew-the-Less. Farringdon tube
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Sunday 12th December
1830. Sing Noel! - a concert of Christmas music for choir and audience. City of London Chamber Choir - Christopher Field (conductor) with David Hirst (organ). St Bartholomew-the-Less. Farringdon tube

Monday 13th December
1300. Blundells School Concert. St Andrew by the Wardrobe. Blackfriars tube
1310. Lauriston Flute trio St Anne and St Agnes. St Pauls tube
1310. Jessica Lehmann and others (piano). St Davids Room, Strand Campus (opposite the Chapel), Kings College London. Charing Cross tube

Tuesday 14th December
1730. Baroque Venetian polychoral Christmas music and traditional carols. The University College London Chamber Music Club Choir with sackbutts and cornets. North Cloisters, University College London. Free. Euston Square tube
1900 Christmas Concert in aid of the Classic fm Charitable Trust. The Choir of Westminster Abbey. Westminster Abbey

Wednesday 15th December
1310. Louise Bevan Quintet (Strings and Clarinet). St Olave Hart treet. Monument tube
1310. Patrick Henry Madrigal Singers. St Anne and St Agnes. St Pauls tube
1315. Carols for all to join in with. St Martin Ludgate. St Paul’s tube
1900. Esterhazy Singers. All Hallows by the Tower. Tower Hill tube
1930. Nonsuch Singers – O Magnum Mysterium. Including works by Praetorius and Schutz, Hildegard of Bingen, Tallis, Dove. 13 , 10 pounds. www.nonsuchsingers.com or on the door. Enquiries 020 7381 0441. St James Piccadilly. Piccadilly Circus tube
2000. Local Event organised by the Oxford and Cambridge Musical Club Open concert. Admission free to University College London Chamber Music Club members. More information. Haldane Room, , University College London. Euston Square tube

Thursday 16th December
1310 Christmas Music from Handel’s Messiah by the Lothbury Singers and the Choral Scholars of Hill House, Chelsea. St Margaret Lothbury. Bank tube
1730. London Oriana Choir. Popular carols for audience, choir and all the family including Starlight, Past 3 o'clock, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, The Holly and the Ivy, The Twelve Days of Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, Jingle Bells. Adults 8 pounds Children 2 pounds from Ticketweb (no booking fee) 0870 6021156. St James Piccadilly. Piccadilly Circus tube
2000. O come, O Come, Emmanuel, including Roberts,Veni, Rutter, When Icicles Hang, plus popular carols. London Oriana Choir. Box office Ticketweb 0870 6021156 18, 15 and 12 (no booking fee) . St James Piccadilly. Piccadilly Circus tube

Friday 17th December
1200 Music for space and time. Primary school children of east London. Christ Church Spitalfields. Liverpool Street tube
1310. Lauridsen, Victoria, Poulenc. O Magnum Mysterium. Elizabeth Lil, soprano, with vocal ensemble. St James Piccadilly. Piccadilly Circus tube
1900. Vivaldi and other Baroque masters. 9 to 20 pounds. Christ Church Spitalfields. Liverpool Street tube
1930. Stop the War Coalition Christmas Concert. St James Piccadilly. Piccadilly Circus tube
1930. Concert. Southwark Cathedral Choir. Southwark Cathedral. London Bridge tube
1930. Stravinsky Persephone, Borodin Polovstsian Dances,Rimsky-Korsakov Sheherezade. University College London Union Symphony Chorus and Orchestra. 7 pounds and 5 pounds. Duke's Hall, Royal Academy of Music. Baker Street tube

Saturday 18th December
1900. Christmas music from Handel s Messiah. London Festival Orchestra and Vivamus. Conductor Ross Pople. 18 pounds to 12 pounds 50 in advance from London Festival Orchestra Box Office: 020 7928 9250 (24hrs) [email protected] Credit cards to 1 pound 50 charge. St James Piccadilly. Piccadilly Circus tube

Sunday 19th December
1600. Carol service of a south London parish, St Catherine’s Hatcham. New Cross Gate tube
1745. A Christmas Meditation (organ and poetry). Westminster Abbey
1830. Festival of Lessons and Carols. Southwark Cathedral. London Bridge tube

Monday 20th December
1300. Unaccompanied Madrigals and Motets by Wert, Weelkes, Schultz, Dowland. Musica Divina. St James Piccadilly. Piccadilly Circus tube
1900. Music by Praetorius, Schutz and Scheidt, concert by Candlelight. Tickets 020 7606 4986. St Anne & St Agnes. St Pauls tube

Tuesday 21st December
1245. Cathedral Sing-In. Southwark Cathedral. London Bridge tube
1300. A seasonal feast of words and music by the Choir of St Lawrence Jewry and Catherine Ennis (Organ). St Lawrence Jewry. Bank tube

Wednesday 22nd December
1305. Sing for your lunch. Followed by mince pies. Bishopsgate Institute, 230 Bishopsgate. Liverpool Street tube

Wednesday 22nd December
1200. Carols. St Bride’s Fleet Street. Blackfriars tube
1930. Let It Snow, again ! Youth Musical Theatre. Following Let It Snow last Christmas, the young present a Christmas songbook with numbers new and old. A celebration of the last year of new music making with some old favourites, readings and Christmas scenes. Tickets 10 pounds (children 5 pounds) 0870 2405057. St James Piccadilly. Piccadilly Circus tube

Thursday 23rd December
1310. Traditional Christmas Concert by the Lothbury Singers. St Margaret Lothbury. Bank tube

Friday 24th December
1600. Service of Lessons and Carols. Westminster Abbey
1600. Christmas Carol Service and Blessing the Crib. St Pauls Cathedral
1600. Crib Service. Southwark Cathedral. London Bridge tube
1900. Festival of nine lessons and carols. St Ann and St Agnes. St Pauls tube
2330. Christmas Midnight Eucharist. St Pauls Cathedral
2330. First Eucharist of Christmas & Blessing of the Crib. Westminster Abbey
2330. Midnight Mass. Southwark Cathedral. London Bridge tube
Saturday 25th December
0900. Eucharist with Carols. Southwark Cathedral.
1030. Sung Eucharist. Westminster Abbey
1100. Sung Eucharist. St Pauls Cathedral
1100. Choral Eucharist. Southwark Cathedral.
1100. Christmas Day Family Service followed by lunch. Please tell them if you are coming to lunch. [email protected], phone 020 7488 4772. All Hallows by the Tower.
1500. Festal Evensong. Westminster Abbey
1515. Festal Evensong. St Pauls Cathedral

Monday 27th December
1700. Christmas Music at the Crib. St Pauls Cathedral

Tuesday 28th December
1700. Christmas Music at the Crib. St Pauls Cathedral

A useful listing from Mr Haines. It is missing a few events from the popish cathedrals.

Westminster Cathedral has, on Tuesday 21 December 2004, at 19:30, A Christmas Celebration, In aid of Cathedral Charities with the Westminster Cathedral Choir and the Southern Sinfonietta. It also has a midnight mass at 23:30 on Christmas eve.

St George's Cathedral, Southwark has at 13:05 on Dec 10, a group called Paean doing Britten's Ceremony of Carols and Poulenc's Litanies a la Vierge Noire.

Brompton Oratory has a Festival of Carols at 19:30 on December 21 and midnight mass on Christmas eve at 23:30.

For a fuller list of the music in more of London's non-Anglican Christian churches (Cantuar doesn't always have the best tunes), The Times publishes current services at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,175,00.html (scroll down to Sunday Worship under Faith)

They should publish details of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on Dec 17, and keep it online till Christmas Day. If this is difficult to access for anyone (they seem to make access tricky from non-UK ISPs) , tt this message and I'll try to help.

For another Christmas treat, we happened by groups of carolers in some of the arcades (Burlington Arcade, Princes Arcade, etc...) I don't know if you can find a schedule, but they were delightful to stand around and listen to. :)

Many thanks to you all for the posting. This is the first time in four years I am not able to attend; but I could still remember the lovely music,it is the best part of pre-Christmas London, and pantomime too.