The Music department will be getting into the Christmas mood next month, with a series of festive musical events throughout December.

The seasonal musical celebrations will get underway this Friday, 4 December, in ‘A Baroque Christmas,’ in which the Cecilian Choir and String Sinfonia come together in excerpts from Handel’s popular ‘Messiah’ and Vivaldi’s much-loved ‘Winter’ from The Four Seasons, together with a sparkling Double Oboe Concerto. The following weekend, on Saturday 12 December, the Chorus and Symphony Orchestra join forces for a rare performance of Vaughan Williams’ ‘The First Nowell,’ originally written as a nativity play but later turned into a concert piece featuring popular and less well-known carols and Christmas songs.

On Wednesday 16 December, a festive ‘Watch This Space’ will see assorted groups including Minerva Voices and the Flute Group in an informal event on the foyer-stage at lunchtime; then at 17.15, conductor Ian Swatman leads the Big Band in the now traditional Christmas Swing-along, featuring well-known seasonal classics and audience carol-singing with the Brass Group, followed by mulled wine and mince pieces in the foyer.

Full details and tickets are on the Music at Kent What’s On website; come and join us as Colyer-Fergusson rings with seasonal music to celebrate the Christmas season!