Christmas 2025 - Concerts

In winter storytelling at its most atmospheric, VOCES8 went a-carolling from the chandeliered splendour of London’s Smith Square in repertoire from Praetorius and Poston to Rutter and Reena Esmail. Renaissance music rang out from St Martin-in-the-Fields in ‘A Spanish Nativity’ sung by the award-winning Stile Antico.

Soprano Penelope Appleyard and Pianist Jonathan Delbridge celebrated Jane Austen’s 250th birthday with their ensemble The Little Song Party in a programme of music and words (performed by Classic FM presenter Zeb Soanes), for ‘Jane Austen’s Christmas Gaiety’. Festival debutants The Mancunium Consort and the VOCES8 Scholars Ensemble performed under Barnaby Smith’s direction with music from Byrd and Bach to Sally Beamish and Lucy Walker.

The combined forces of VOCES8, APOLLO5 and members of VOCES8’s Foundation Choir sang the perennial favourite Handel ‘Messiah’ from St Anne and St Agnes. St Martin’s Voices and Zeb Soanes brought you ‘This Christmas Life’, whilst super group VocalEssence delivered a tour of Christmas music from around the world.

In a double celebration extra, we bade a fond farewell to VOCES8 soprano Andrea Haines and lent you a final opportunity to watch VOCES8's Twentieth anniversary concert from the Barbican, alongside the BBC Singers, Jack Liebeck and the VOCES8 Scholars.

As ever supporting contemporary composers, a new Christmas oratorio was unveiled, performed by Jack Liebeck, the VOCES8 Foundation Choir and Orchestra and conducted by Barnaby Smith. ‘Rose Ever Blooming’ tells the story of Mary through the poetry of Patricia Monaghan and music of Jocelyn Hagen and Timothy C. Takach.