Our pick of the best Christmas Carols and Concerts in Oxford and across Oxfordshire.
We’re spoilt for choice when it comes to Christmas events. But an evening of proper Christmas carols remains an absolute must if you’re interested in getting wrapped up in unalloyed festive cheer.
Indoors and outdoors, cathedral, churches and secular spaces, there truly is a service to suit everyone, whether you’re after family-friendly carol services, Santa-led singing, cherubic choirs or even a full-on big-band experience.
Here’s our pick of the jolliest and most moving Christmas carols and concerts in Oxford and across Oxfordshire. Be sure to check the full list of Christmas carols and concerts in Oxfordshire. Of course, we’ll be adding to it as more events are announced.
Family Christmas Carol Concert at Christ Church Cathedral
03 December
Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
The Boys of Christ Church Cathedral Choir warmly welcomes children of all ages to this relaxed, fun and informal daytime celebration of the festive season at the Cathedral. Come ready to sing some well-loved carols and be inspired by the beautiful, angelic voices of the choristers and the thunderous sound of the organ – this is the perfect family outing.
Join Macmillan Cancer Support to start your Christmas season with “Follow the Stars – Christmas Carols”, its annual feast of carols, seasonal choral music and literary readings at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford. The concert will be live-streamed on YouTube for free on Friday, 09 December 2022, at 8.00pm. However, you can attend the event in person if you’d prefer.
Celebrate the festive season in style with the vocalists and instrumentalists of Down for the Count Orchestra as they Swing Into Christmas. This is a festive celebration like no other, as they recreate the music of Nat ‘King’ Cole, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and many more in a luscious 28-piece orchestral setting evoking the sounds of the great Capitol Studios recordings.
Discover more: Concert orchestra formed in lockdown is touring with a spectacular Christmas show
Orchestra of St John’s Handel’s Messiah is a seasonal classic performed by renowned soloists, backed by the full forces of the Orchestra of St John’s and the OSJ Voices. Join them for a festive performance of Handel’s great oratorio featuring John Lubbock’s exciting new orchestration for winds, continuo, trumpets and timpani.
The OSJ will also be performing Handel’s The Messiah (in the traditional version) at SJE Arts on 18 December.
The Sixteen, directed by Harry Christophers, return to SJE with its 2022 Christmas programme featuring a feast of carols and seasonal choral music. Capturing the joy and sincerity of the festive season, The Sixteen contrast much-loved modern classics with gorgeous Renaissance sounds and old favourites. The perfect way to start your Christmas celebrations.
Join Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons, Radiohead’s Philip Selway, actress Sinéad Cusack, and comedian Rory Bremner in celebrating 30 years of the Unicorn School in Abingdon of helping children with dyslexia, autism and other learning challenges with a celebrity candle-lit carol concert at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.
After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Lord Mayor of Oxford’s annual Christmas carol concert, which raises money for local charities, is back. The Oxfordshire County Youth Orchestra and Choir, plus the West Oxford Young Singers, will be there with a delightful rendition of the UK’s best-loved carols, plus a few new ones.
A limited number of tickets will be available to buy in person from the Cards for Good Causes shop located in the town hall.
Selling out every year, G4 will be back in Oxford with their biggest and best Christmas tour to date. Expect to hear timeless classics such as When A Child is Born, Silent Night and All I Want For Christmas, as well as delightful medleys to evoke the Christmas spirit – delivered exquisitely in the stunning Oxford Town Hall.
VIP ‘Meet & Greet’ tickets are available, including a pre-show Meet & Greet with G4 at 6.00pm.
See our full guide to Christmas in Oxfordshire for more things to do in Oxford and across Oxfordshire this festive season?
