BIRMINGHAM BACH CHOIR

One of the city’s oldest and most distinguished musical groups, Birmingham Bach Choir here presents a concert of 20th-century music based around the theme of ‘nature’. Featuring works by Eric Whitacre, 
Alan Rawsthorn, Benjamin Britten and
John Ireland, the concert concludes with a performance of Richard Rodney Bennett’s The Glory And The Dream, a setting of the William Wordsworth ode Intimations Of Immortality.

St Paul’s Church, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, Saturday 23 November

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WORCESTER FESTIVAL CHORAL SOCIETY

Worcester Festival Choral Society’s 140 voices take on the challenge of choral and orchestral classics by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Gabriel Fauré, here presented in the magnificent surroundings of Worcester Cathedral.  
Appearing alongside the Society are internationally acclaimed soloists Brittany King (soprano), Frances Gregory (mezzo soprano), Greg Tassell (tenor) and Peter Edge (baritone). Director of music Samuel Hudson conducts, with accompaniment coming from the Meridian Sinfonia.

Worcester Cathedral, Saturday 23 November

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SPIRES PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

“We are acoustic adventurers,” explain Spires Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus, a community of ambitious musicmakers from Coventry. “We seek out unheard gems and then programme them alongside classics we know and love, crafting concerts that are not only outstanding to listen to but that we love to perform too.”
The choir and pro/am orchestra’s latest outing sees them presenting a programme featuring Vaughan Williams’ Five Variants Of Dives And Lazarus, a rare performance of Saint-Saëns’ Oratorio de Noël, Handel’s Dixit Dominus and Bach’s Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desiring.   

United Reformed Church, Coventry, Saturday 23 November

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ORCHESTRA OF THE SWAN: MIDWINTER

Orchestra of the Swan deliver an evening of ‘the ancient and the contemporary, the religious and the secular, the familiar and the unknown’ in a concert presenting ‘an intriguing tapestry of winter music and words’... The orchestra’s director, David Le Page (pictured), is the man at the helm.

Heightington Village Hall, Bewdley, Saturday 30 November; Number 8, Pershore, Tuesday 3 December 

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HUNGARIAN RADIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

With Riccardo Frizza appointed as chief conductor in 2023 - their 80th-anniversary year - Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra are heading into the future with a renewed vigour and enthusiasm. 
They are joined for this concert by Jeneba Kanneh-Mason (pictured). A rising star who is following in the footsteps of her celebrated elder siblings, Isata and Sheku, she will be performing Chopin’s Piano Concerto No2. 
The programme also features Kodály’s Dances Of Galánta (at Symphony Hall only), Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz and, to send audience members home with a definite spring in their step, Beethoven’s effervescent Seventh Symphony.

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Saturday 30 November; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Friday 6 December

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 EX CATHEDRA: CHRISTMAS MUSIC BY CANDLELIGHT

What better way to get into the Christmas spirit than by enjoying an evening with one of the country’s finest choral music ensembles?
Under the directorship of its founder, Jeffrey Skidmore, Ex Cathedra this month presents its atmospheric and much-loved Christmas Music By Candlelight evening, an event that features festive favourites from around the globe and across the ages, interspersed with a variety of seasonal readings.

St John’s Church, Hagley, Wednesday 4 December; St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury, Friday 6 December; Lichfield Cathedral, Tuesday 10 December; St Mary’s Church, Moseley, Wednesday 11 December; St Peter’s Collegiate Church, Wolverhampton, Saturday 14 December; Coventry Cathedral, Tuesday 17 December; St Paul’s Church, Birmingham, Thursday 19 - Saturday 21 December

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ARMONICO CONCOET: HANDEL'S MESSIAH

As retellings of the Christmas story go, Handel’s Messiah is definitely one worth hearing... 
Originally written for Easter and featuring a series of much-loved classics - including For Unto Us A Child Is Born and the legendary Hallelujah! - Messiah was first performed in 1742 and had been much anticipated. Indeed, so large an audience was expected for its Dublin premiere that women who were attending were asked to wear dresses ‘without hoops’ in order to make ‘room for more company’...
Christopher Monks here leads Armonico Consort’s period musicians and talented soloists in a concert that should certainly get its audiences into the Christmas spirit.

Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick, Thursday 5 December; Malvern Theatres, Friday 6 December

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CITY OF BIRMINGHAM CHOIR: HANDEL'S MESSIAH

The City of Birmingham Choir’s December performance of Handel’s magnificent choral masterpiece is a well-established element of the Midlands’ festive music scene - and as retellings of the Christmas story go, it is definitely one worth hearing... 
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra further add to the evening’s magic. Adrian Lucas conducts.

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Friday 6 December

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BBC PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Residing at the Corporation’s Manchester home of Media City in Salford Quays, the BBC Philharmonic are no strangers to Stoke-on-Trent, regularly presenting Victoria Hall concert-goers with works from their impressive repertoire. 
This latest presentation, coming in celebration of Finnish Independence Day, sees John Storgårds picking up the baton to conduct a concert featuring Elgar’s Violin Concerto - performed by Christian Tetzlaff (pictured) - and two compositions by Sibelius: his fifth symphony and Finlandia.

Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Friday 6 December

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WORCESTER FESTIVAL CHORAL SOCIETY`: HANDEL'S MESSIAH

Worcester Festival Choral Society once again get their teeth into Handel’s famous oratorio, presenting the work in the magnificent - and, for this occasion, candlelit - surroundings of Worcester Cathedral. 
The 163-year-old Society’s 140 voices will be joined by four solo performers and the Meridian Sinfonia Baroque Orchestra. Worcester Cathedral’s director of music, Samuel Hudson, conducts.

Worcester Cathedral, Saturday 7 December

PHOENIX SINGERS: A CHRISTMAS FANTASY

Rising from the ashes of Chorus 2000, a large choir created in 1996 in the lead-up to the millennium, Birmingham-based Phoenix Singers here join forces with  Midlands Hospitals’ Choir to perform a concert of seasonal music in aid of Birmingham Hospice. 
Gemini Brass, organist Charles Matthews and RGS Dodderhill School Choir also feature. 

Birmingham Town Hall, Sunday 8 December

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ORCHESTRA OF THE SWAN: WINTER SOLSTICE

Fans of The Archers have an extra reason to enjoy this latest Orchestra of the Swan (OOTS) offering: actress Sunny Ormonde - who plays Lilian Bellamy in the long-running BBC Radio Four soap opera - is taking on the role of narrator for the evening. 
A celebration of the darkest time of the year, Winter Solstice is described by the orchestra as an evening of atmospheric, glorious music combined with some of the finest seasonal poetry and prose. 
Winter words from, among others, Dylan Thomas, Laurie Lee and Charles Dickens are featured. OOTS’ musical director, David Le Page is the man at the helm.

Malvern Theatres, Thursday 12 December

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HALESOWEN ORCHESTRA: TWO GREAT SYMPHONIES

The Halesowen Orchestra has been described as one of the town’s hidden jewels - a description with which the ensemble’s many supporters would no doubt wholeheartedly agree. 
Founded in 1986, the amateur group of musicians meet once a week to practise a wide and varied repertoire of works by some of the world’s greatest classical composers.
This month’s concert features Schubert’s eighth symphony (Unfinished) and Glazunov’s Symphony No4.

Halesowen Town Hall, Saturday 14 December

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WOMBOURNE & DISTRICT CHORAL SOCIETY

Presenting a varied repertoire of full-scale classical works, madrigals and part-songs, the well-established Wombourne & District Choral Society this month turn their attention to Cecilia McDowall’s A Winter’s Night, an engaging Christmas cantata - composed in 2014 - which incorporates a number of popular carols.

Beckminster Methodist Church, Wolverhampton, Saturday 14 December

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NADIA EIDE: WINTER LIGHT

“You hit notes that we mortals can only dream of!” So said Sir Tom Jones of Nadia Eide when she appeared on ITV talent contest The Voice. 
And he wasn’t alone in his admiration of her, with fellow judges Olly Murs, Anne-Marie and will.i.am all similarly blown away. 
The Scandinavian-born classical crossover coloratura soprano has gone on to garner further critical acclaim, enjoy chart-topping success, and perform in some of the world’s biggest arenas.
She visits Shrewsbury this month in support of recently released album Winter Light, presenting ‘a spectacular Christmas concert for all ages’ which comes complete with a special guest.

Shrewsbury Abbey, Sunday 15 December

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BIRMINGHAM PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

One of the Midlands’ best known and most admired non-professional orchestras, the Birmingham Phil here takes a journey through the Romantic era. They kickstart proceedings with trailblazing female composer Louise Farrenc’s Overture No1 and round off the evening by performing Brahms’ third symphony. Sandwiched in between these two compositions is the rich romanticism of the Bruch violin concerto, here being showcased by Charlotte Moseley (pictured). 

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Sunday 15 December

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BIRMINGHAM BACH CHOIR

A concert presenting both popular and lesser-known festive music, Birmingham Bach Choir’s annual carol service is the perfect way to kickstart your Christmas celebrations. 
O Come All Ye Faithful, Once In Royal David’s City and Hark The Herald Angels Sing are among the featured carols, which will be interspersed with nine readings. Paul Spicer (pictured) conducts.

St Alban’s, Birmingham, Sunday 15 December

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CBSO: CHORAL CHRISTMAS WITH JESS GILLAM

Jess Gillam (pictured) has been described as a musical force of nature, and it’s easy to understand why. Routinely blending electrifying performances with eclectic programming, the 26-year-old musician shot to stardom when she became the first saxophonist to reach the finals of the BBC Young Musician contest, and the youngest-ever soloist to perform at the Last Night of the Proms. 
Jess here plays her part in a festive-season concert that also features the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the CBSO Chorus, Youth Chorus, Children’s Chorus (on the Friday) and CBSO SO Vocal (on the Thursday). Simon Halsey conducts.

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Thursday 19 & Friday 20 December