Christmas at Christ Church 2

Christmas at Christ Church returns to Christ Church Cathedral on Friday 18 December, the annual Christmas concert put on by Music at Oxford. It's been running since 1985, and the format stays the same: the Cathedral Choir of Christ Church takes the lead, with seasonal readings and carols sung by the audience throughout the evening. It's a mix of listening and joining in, and it's held inside the cathedral itself.

The choir is the main draw here. They're known for a vibrant sound and a fair bit of artistic flexibility, and the choir has served as a starting point for singers who went on to groups like the BBC Singers, The Sixteen, The King's Singers and The Tallis Scholars, as well as to solo careers in oratorio, opera and musical theatre. This year's music is under a new hand: Peter Holder took over as Director of Music at Christ Church Cathedral in September 2024, having previously been Sub-Organist at St Paul's Cathedral.

On the night, the choir handles the festive repertoire, the readings provide the seasonal framing, and you'll be expected to sing along to the carols. It's a long evening, starting at 8pm and running until around 10pm, with an interval in the middle. Seating is unreserved across five zones in the cathedral, and there are live TV screens relaying the service to some of the areas, so you'll be able to see what's happening even if you're not right at the front.

Online booking for this edition has closed, but tickets are still available at the venue's pop-up box office. Full price tickets are £49, £36, £25, £18 and £13, with standard concessions at £24.50, £18.00, £12.50, £9.00 and £6.50. The concert is on Friday 18 December, 8pm to about 10pm, at Christ Church Cathedral, Christ Church College, St. Aldates, Oxford OX1 1DP.