In the rich tradition of Oxford's choral music, The Choir of The Queen's College stands out as one of the city's leading ensembles, described by BBC Music Magazine as 'a glorious earful'. In the beautiful chapel of St Edward's School, they perform a selection of favourite choral works, with a particular focus on the Song of Songs. The programme includes Palestrina's ‘Sicut servus’, Walton's ‘Set me as a seal’, and works by Duruflé, Victoria, Holst and Lauridsen.

The cafe at the Olivier Hall will be open from 3.30pm, serving tea, coffee and cake before the 4.45pm concert.

Join us for a thrilling concert to end this 25th-anniversary Festival! An exceptional team of artists assembles for a concert that showcases what Oxford Song is all about, with a varied and uplifting take on our theme of ‘Love Songs’.

The concert begins with a new work, Marriage of…?, by our Associate Composer Emily Hazrati and librettist Nazli Tabatabai- Khatambahksh. We find ourselves behind the scenes at a wedding reception where the chef and sommelier, beneath a surface of humour and wit, are desperately in love with each other. Following this, The Choir of the Queen’s College join with our various soloists to perform Debussy’s glorious, Wagnerian cantata La Damoiselle élue, to a poem by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, which tells of a young woman gazing down from heaven at her beloved, who is still alive, and longing for him to join her in paradise.

Songs and ensembles by Schubert, Chaminade, Bolcom and Brahms complete the programme and bring the Festival to a joyous conclusion.

The bar at the Olivier Hall will be open throughout the afternoon and evening, and all are warmly invited to join us for a celebratory drink at the end of the concert.

Handel's Messiah lies at the very heart of Christmas musical festivities. The oratorio follows Christ's life from the prophecies of the Old Testament through to his birth, passion and resurrection, and the final conquest of sin with the promise of eternal life. Handel uses his consummate skill as an opera composer to inject vivid colour and intense drama into his score. First heard in 1741, it remains just as popular today as it did in Dublin nearly 300 years ago. Arias of mesmerising beauty and triumphant courage sit alongside virtuoso choruses of stunning power - including the famous 'Hallelujah Chorus'.

This concert continues the acclaimed collaboration between the Choir of The Queen's College, Oxford and the world famous Academy of Ancient Music, a combination of the finest choral singing and an orchestra with a worldwide reputation for excellence in baroque and classical music. Previous performances of Messiah in this collaboration, also with star-studded line-ups of soloists, have sold out well in advance the event and booking as soon as possible is highly recommended.

Choir and orchestra are conducted by Owen Rees, Director of Music at The Queen's College, hailed as 'one of the most energetic and persuasive voices’ in this field.

Rowan Pierce  soprano
Esther Lay  mezzo-soprano
Ted Black  tenor
James Atkinson baritone

Choir of The Queen's College, Oxford
Academy of Ancient Music
Owen Rees  director

In a new addition to our regular Christmas Calendar, please do join the Choir for the inaugural Carols from Queen’s: London, hosted at the beautiful St James’s Church, Sussex Gardens. A glass of mulled wine or soft drink will be served at the end of the concert, and is included within the ticket price.

Choir of The Queen's College, Oxford
Owen Rees director

The ever-popular Carols from Queen's returns this year on Friday 18 and Sunday 20 December. A staple in the Oxford musical calendar, The Choir of The Queen's College, Oxford presents a varied programme of glorious Christmas music combining old favourites with more recent arrangements. The concert reflects the shifting moods of the period from Advent to Epiphany, inviting personal reflection on the transformation of darkness into light of the Incarnation.

A glass of mulled wine or soft drink served in Queen’s beautiful Baroque Hall is included within the ticket price.

Choir of The Queen's College, Oxford
Owen Rees director

Tickets: £30 main chapel (£5 students)

The ever-popular Carols from Queen's returns this year on Friday 18 and Sunday 20 December. A staple in the Oxford musical calendar, The Choir of The Queen's College, Oxford presents a varied programme of glorious Christmas music combining old favourites with more recent arrangements. The concert reflects the shifting moods of the period from Advent to Epiphany, inviting personal reflection on the transformation of darkness into light of the Incarnation.

A glass of mulled wine or soft drink served in Queen’s beautiful Baroque Hall is included within the ticket price.

Choir of The Queen's College, Oxford
Owen Rees director

Tickets: £30 main chapel (£5 students)