Enjoy the delicate flight of angels in works by Sir James MacMillan and Dame Judith Weir, and Caroline Shaw’s haunting To the Hands, which brings the sacred sounds of Grigorian chant to a piece about Jesus’ crucified hands.

Howells’ Hymnus Paradisi

Milton Court Concert Hall

Taking in the nation’s favourite Christmas Carols, alongside depictions of John Masefield’s classic The Box of Delights, Hardy’s Under the Greenwood Tree, Chekhov’s At Christmas Time and the lesser-known masterpiece of Charles Dickens, Doctor Marigold.

A Christmas Odyssey

Ermonela Jaho stars in Puccini’s bittersweet romance, his opera La rondine, incorporating music that has not been heard this century. 

Ruggero is young and wealthy, with his whole life before him. Magda is beautiful, worldly and wise – surely too wise to fall in love all over again? But amid the delights of belle-époque Paris, romance can be as intoxicating as champagne – and the heart, as they say, has its own reasons. In Puccini’s opera La rondine, they’ve never sounded sweeter.

Inspired by Viennese operetta, La rondine is a bittersweet love story, set to some of the most romantic melodies that even Puccini ever wrote. But it’s also portrait of a world waltzing on the edge; a deeply moving study of innocence and (tender) experience. This one-off concert performance from the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Opera Rara stars Ermonela Jaho as Magda, and uses the newly restored final 1921 version of the score, incorporating music which is completely unknown today. Prepare to be seduced.

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Puccini’s La rondine

Barbican Centre

Following the success of the BBC Singers previous visit to the West End and Broadway, Owain Park conducts BBC Singers and BBC Concert Orchestra in more music from some of our best-loved musicals.

Songs from the Shows

Join us for an unforgettable evening at the Three Choirs Festival featuring the remarkable talents of Anna Lapwood and the BBC Singers, accompanied by the Philharmonia. This special concert will take place in the majestic setting of Worcester Cathedral on Tuesday, 30th July 2024, at 7pm.

The evening promises to be a profound musical journey, showcasing a diverse program that includes Arakelyan's "Seascapes," Britten's "Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes" transcribed for organ by Anna Lapwood, Poulenc's "Figure Humaine," and Weir's "In the Land of Uz." These pieces together explore themes of freedom, suffering, and the human spirit's resilience, making for a deeply moving experience.

Under the baton of conductor Sofi Jeannin, with performances by tenor Mark Padmore, narrator Charles Gibbs, and organists Anna Lapwood and Nicholas Freestone, the concert will bring to life the emotional depth and complexity of these works. The BBC Singers' collaboration with Anna Lapwood is particularly noteworthy, blending choral and organ music to create an evocative soundscape.

Tickets are priced between £15 and £58, offering a range of options for attendees. The concert will run for approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes, including an interval, allowing guests to fully immerse themselves in the music and the cathedral's atmospheric setting.

For more information or to purchase tickets once they go on sale, please contact the Three Choirs Festival Box Office at 01452 768928 or email info3choirs.org. Don't miss this opportunity to experience a night of exquisite music and powerful storytelling at one of the UK's most historic cathedrals.

Three Choirs Festival: Anna Lapwood and BBC Singers

Worcester Cathedral

Join us for a mesmerizing evening as the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and BBC Singers present "Sir Michael Tippett’s New Year" on Saturday, 13th April 2024, at the City Halls. This unique event promises to be an unforgettable experience, featuring a live performance of Sir Michael Tippett’s space-age fairytale opera, "New Year," alongside a stellar cast of soloists including Rhian Lois, Ross Ramgobin, Susan Bickley, Roland Wood, Robert Murray, Rachel Nicholls, and Alan Oke. Under the baton of conductor Martyn Brabbins and with Victoria Newlyn as the stage director, the evening is set to be a showcase of exceptional talent.

"New Year" is a compelling opera that intertwines two worlds, as a visitor from the future, "Nowhere Tomorrow," aids the central character in overcoming personal fears and fantasies to confront the realities of "Somewhere Today." This opera, one of Tippett’s most adventurous works, completed at the age of 83, blends influences from opera, rock musicals, pop songs, spoken dialogue, jokes, and dance, offering an eclectic and engaging experience for the audience.

The concert will also feature a pre-performance discussion at 6:45 pm in the Recital Room, led by Oliver Soden, author of "Michael Tippett: The Biography," and Sally Groves, Tippett’s friend and colleague, in conversation with Kate Molleson. This panel will provide deeper insights into Tippett’s life and the opera, enriching your experience of the performance.

This event is part of the BBC SSO 2023-24 Season and the BBC Singers 2023-24 Season, marking 35 years of NMC Recordings and its dedication to British contemporary music. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance, with a limit of 4 tickets per application. Tickets will be available from 10 am on Wednesday, 7th February 2024.

Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the magic of Sir Michael Tippett’s "New Year" in a live performance that promises to be both thought-provoking and thoroughly entertaining.

Sir Michael Tippett’s 'New Year' with BBC Singers

City Halls and Old Fruitmarket

The BBC’s celebration of singing in East London. Join the BBC Singers, the BBC Symphony Chorus and over 200 local performers for a showcase for talented choirs from across East London.

BBC Singers

Feb 26, 2026

Howells’ Hymnus Paradisi

Dec 11, 2025

A Christmas Odyssey

BBC Singers