The most festive concert of the year
Heralded as ‘the most iconic place in London to enjoy a Christmassy concert’ by
Time Out, the Royal Albert Hall is truly the place to be this Christmas. Every year
Royal Albert Hall Trust presents their carols, and every year people flock to experience them.
The ensemble of the evening is packed with musical talent, including the National
Youth Choir and their conductor Nicholas Chalmers, the Royal Philharmonic
Orchestra, the British Imperial Military Band, organist Richard Pearce and conductor
Richard Cooke.
Tonight Greg Beardsell presents the Carols with a charming confidence, steering us
through the festive evening that flies by in a flurry of snowflakes and tinsel. The
soloist of the evening is Zara McFarlane, making a dazzling entrance in a glittering
silver gown with vocals to match.
An elevated version of your classic ‘Carols by Candlelight’, this concert boasts the
best of the best. Angelic voices, expert instrumentalists and world-class
arrangements, this production has become an iconic London attraction for a reason.
In the first act the performers are more reserved in their outfits, but after interval they
come back on stage having transformed themselves into elves, Santas and various
characters of Christmas stories. The choice of carols lean strongly towards their
religious origins, with a number of hymns and unique songs unlikely to be familiar to
secular audience members.
The real highlights of the show are our opportunities to singalong as an audience.
With a lyrics sheet provided on every chair, the audience are invited to join in for
renditions of ‘Once in Royal David’s City’, ‘Away in a Manger, ‘O Come All Ye
Faithful’ and of course ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’, which has now become an
annual tradition.
The audience find other ways to participate, with inhabitants of the infamous ‘boxes’
decorating them with lights, tinsel and even disco balls. The other sections of the
audience have made do with bedecking themselves with decorations, from Santa hats
and Christmas jumpers to flashing necklaces made from fairy lights.
With Christmas trees around every corner, the hall is equally festooned and it’s
impossible not to be overcome with the festive spirit. Everything from the performers to the song choices to the firework cannons work in perfect harmony to create the ultimate Christmas experience.
Raising money in support of the Alzheimer’s Society and Royal Albert Hall Trust, it’s
a concert you can feel good about attending, with staff around the hall making it easy
to donate and make someone else’s Christmas a little brighter this year.