For many, Handel’s timeless masterpiece, Messiah, is the sound of Christmas.

Come and hear this incredible 300-year-old music amongst the beauty and atmospheric surroundings of a candlelit Derby Cathedral.

Handel’s Messiah by Candlelight

Derby Cathedral

This concert is your chance to hear some of the most famous classical music ever written, live in Derby.

Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter…. Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons depicts the passing of the year in evocative string music, from a barking dog in spring to an icy storm of winter. It takes a special violinist to bring it to life, and we have our own, Sophie Rosa, to perform it for you.

If that’s not enough Baroque’n’roll, we’ve also got Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3 – with its second movement also known as the Air on a G String in a later adaptation. And for Baroque (coronation) anthems, we’re joined by Derby Cathedral Choir for music celebrating the coronation of King George II in 1727. Or, as you might know Handel’s Zadok The Priest, the music crowning Paris St Germain, Real Madrid and Manchester City as the official anthem of the UEFA Champions League.

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons

Is there an English sound we can all agree on? Of course not. But at least we can celebrate the music of English composers and how they have depicted the country over time. Ralph Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending is enduringly popular as a portrait of rural England. But it was written amongst military manoeuvres preparing for World War I and so must be heard as much as a heartbreaking piece about loss as it is some depiction of bucolic Albion. Our leader, Sophie Rosa, is our violin soloist. If you’ve heard Sophie before you know what a treat you’re in for, and if you haven’t then you really wouldn’t want to miss this performance

We also have music by two composers who bookend the idea of English classical music. Henry Purcell wrote wild, emotive music for both the palaces and backstreets of early 17th century London. Edward Elgar is the composer we associate with pomp and circumstance and the rigour of Empire. But actually no – listen to Elgar’s Serenade for Strings and you can hear the same raw emotion of Purcell. Maybe the English aren’t so straight laced after all!

Derby Cathedral Choir

Dec 13, 2025

Handel’s Messiah by Candlelight

Feb 7, 2026

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons

Jun 6, 2026

The Lark Ascending

Derby Cathedral Choir