Christmas Music, Kings Place

There's something for everyone in a week of Christmas music

The Feinstein Ensemble perform Bach's sublime Christmas Oratorio. Photo: Sim Canetty-Clarke
From story-telling in song in Handel's Messiah to a folk-based celebration of winter, Christmas at Kings Place is a festival in music.

Messiah is performed (14 Dec, 7:30PM) by the Hanover Band, praised for its vivid sound and faithfulness to composers' intentions. Andrew Arthur is the director and the soloists in Handel's great retelling of the Christmas and Easter story are Erica Eloff (soprano), Tim Morgan (alto), Bradley Smith (tenor) and Triston Hambledon (bass).

Two days later, the amazing vocal ensemble Tenebrae (16 Dec, 7:30PM) sing music for Christmas by Vaughan Williams (his joyful Fantasia on Christmas Carols), Debussy, Fauré, Poulenc and Britten, among others, while the cellist Oliver Coates adds instrumental music and accompaniment.


The Hanover Band performs Handel's Messiah on 14 December at Kings Place. Photo: Bill Philip

Music and science meet in Antimatter Matters (17 Dec, 11.30AM), in which the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment directed by Steven Devine performs a Christmas cantata by JS Bach, and Professor Tara Shears explains how the particles of our world overlap with the symmetry of music.

The bold brassy sound of players Septura blow into Christmas with arrangements of familiar music for seven instruments (18 Dec, 7:30PM). A definite inspiration too for any young brass players in the family, Septura will give its own take on Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite and highlights from Handel's Messiah, with other festive items.

Children and the young at heart will rush to a screening of The Snowman with live music played by the Mozart Symphony Orchestra, and, in the second half of two concerts (19 Dec, 1:30PM and 4:30PM), Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals presents a whole menagerie in music, with creatures including Tortoises, the Elephant – and Pianists.

Bach's uplifting six-part Christmas Oratorio is sung by the London Bach Singers (20 Dec, 7:30PM) with soloists including Charles Daniels as the Evangelist. Martin Feinstein directs the Feinstein Ensemble.

The festive knees-up ends (22 Dec, 8PM) with the Albion Christmas Band, including artists from Fairport Convention and the Albion Band, on a musical tour of British Christmas customs.

Early bookers can scoop tickets at £9.50 for some events. Click here for ticket information.
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What Christmas Music, Kings Place
Where Kings Place, 90 York Way, London, N1 9AG | MAP
Nearest tube King's Cross St. Pancras (underground)
When 14 Dec 17 – 22 Dec 17, seven events, times vary
Price £9.50 - £49.50
Website Click here for more information and booking




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