Nicola Lisle rounds up some of the best musical treats in store this festive season

With so many wonderful Christmas concerts on, it’s hard to know which to go to. Here’s a handy guide to some of the top events in Oxford this festive season.

JUBILATE!
HODIE CHRISTUS NATUS EST
Keble College Chapel, Oxford December 17, 7pm Tickets: 01865 305305 or ticketsoxford.com

Newly-appointed conductor Benjamin Nicholas wields the baton at this candlelit concert by chamber choir Jubilate!, now in its 20th year.

Focusing on the birth of Christ, this lovely seasonal offering includes a range of carols, both old and new, from Schutz and Sheppard to new settings by Judith Weir, Master of the Queen’s Music, and including Vaughan Williams’ ever-popular Fantasia on Christmas Carols.

OXFORD PRO MUSICA SINGERS
A CHRISTMAS COLLECTION: SEASONAL MUSIC OLD AND NEW

St John the Evangelist Church, Iffley Road, Oxford December 17, 7.30pm Tickets: 01865 244806 or musicatoxford.com

The OPMS Christmas concert has become a much-loved part of Oxford’s Christmas music scene.

Here Mark Jordan conducts a selection of seasonal carols, interspersed with piano solos.

The programme ranges from traditional carols such as The Coventry Carol and Away in a Manger to more recent carols by Bob Chilcott, James MacMillan, Arvo Part and Eric Whitacre. There are also opportunities for audience participation.

CHOIR OF THE QUEEN’S COLLEGE
CAROLS FROM QUEEN’S

The Queen’s College Chapel December 18, 7.30pm
01865 305305 or ticketsoxford.com

Launching the choir’s new CD, Carols from Queen’s, and celebrating the college’s association with a number of well-known carols. There will be opportunities to sing along on the night. Conductor Owen Rees.

OXFORD BACH CHOIR
CAROLS FOR ALL

Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford December 18, 7.30pm 01865 305305 or ticketsoxford.com

It wouldn’t be Christmas in Oxford without this traditional, lively event. Young singers and instrumentalists from Oxfordshire County Music Service join the Oxford Bach Choir for an evening of festive music and readings, and there are plenty of opportunities for audience participation.

INSTRUMENTS OF TIME & TRUTH
HANDEL’S MESSIAH BY CANDLELIGHT

University Church, Oxford December 19, 5pm
timeandtruth.co.uk or The Bookhouse, Summertown, 01865 510887

This Oxford-based orchestra was formed in 2014 to showcase the talents of professional musicians living in and around the city. They are joined by the recently-formed Voices of Time and Truth for their first-ever Messiah, performed on period instruments by candlelight to create a very special evening.

ORCHESTRA OF ST JOHN’S
HANDEL’S MESSIAH

St John the Evangelist Church, Iffley Road, December 20, 7.30pm
01865 305305 or ticketsoxford.com

Another fixture on Oxford’s Christmas music calendar is the OSJ’s annual Messiah, which this year features conductor John Lubbock’s new reorchestration for cello, double bass, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, bassoon, two trumpets, timpani and organ continuo. With OSJ Oxford Voices.

THE CATHEDRAL SINGERS OF CHRIST CHURCH
CHRISTMAS BY CANDLELIGHT

Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford December 19, 8pm
01865 305305 or ticketsoxford.com

A lovely atmospheric concert featuring traditional carols and music by Parry, Elgar, Rutter, Ives and Willcocks, with well-loved carols for audience participation. Tickets include a complimentary interval glass of wine.

THE OXFORD WAITS
A 17TH CENTURY CHRISTMAS

Holywell Music Room, Oxford December 19, 3.30pm & 7.30pm
01865 305305 or ticketsoxford.com

Step back into the past with these costumed performances of 17th century Christmas folk music, recreating the sounds of the original Oxford ‘waits’ who performed on the city’s streets.

LORD MAYOR’S CAROL CONCERT
Oxford Town Hall December 20, 2.30pm
Tickets: From the Town Hall Reception

Always a popular festive occasion, this is a fun, lively event for all the family with lots of opportunities to sing along.

NINE LESSONS AND CAROLS
Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford December 23, 7.30pm/December 24, 3pm 01865 305305 or ticketsoxford.com

Christmas isn’t complete without this traditional service, which celebrates the birth of Jesus through carols and readings.