The 30-piece Down for the Count Swing Orchestra plays its annual festive show with big-band-with-strings arrangements at the Cambridge Corn Exchange.
Down for the Count Swing Orchestra are back at the Cambridge Corn Exchange on Monday 21 December, their annual festive show. It's a big-band-with-strings arrangement, and at 30 pieces, it's one of the largest swing bands currently touring the UK. The orchestra is directed by conductor and compère Mike Paul-Smith, who leads the ensemble through a set that recreates the sounds of Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday and Judy Garland in that same big-band-with-strings style.
The 2026 show adds several new song selections to the festive programme, alongside the classics: The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting), I've Got You Under My Skin, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Let It Snow, This Christmas, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year and New York, New York. It's a mix of Christmas standards and swing staples, so you'll hear the seasonal stuff alongside some of the big band's more general repertoire.
Down for the Count is regarded as one of the UK's most highly-regarded vintage ensembles, and they've sold out shows at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, the London Jazz Festival and Cadogan Hall. They've also picked up praise from DownBeat Magazine, Jazzwise and Reader's Digest. The 30-piece line-up brings together some of the country's top vocalists and instrumentalists, and the whole thing is steered by Mike Paul-Smith, who conducts and compères the evening.
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It starts at 19:30 at the Cambridge Corn Exchange, 2 Wheeler Street, CB2 3QB. Tickets are £28.00 to £47.00, which includes the booking fee.
