Handel's Messiah • Contemporary Christmas carols • Bah! humbug!

We have sherry, mince pies and crackers: it must be time for the Christmas podcast! Join us for an episode packed with Yuletide joy, beautiful new carols by Dobrinka Tabakova, Toby Young, Cecilia McDowall and Michael Finnissy, as well as our favourite festive musical jokes. Plus hear all about our Christmas isssue. Our cover feature takes a look at a masterpiece that has redefined the sound of Christmas, Handel's Messiah; we also explore the parish church choir scene, and find out what concert-hall horrors cause musicians to see red. And, of course, we've brought along a batch of the latest Christmas CDs we've been enjoying. Merry Christmas! This episode is presented by editor Oliver Condy, who is joined by deputy editor Jeremy Pound and reviews editor Michael Beek. It was produced by Ben Youatt and Jack Bateman. Recordings: Dobrinka Tabakova Good-will to men, and peace on Earth Choir of Queen's College, Oxford/Owen Rees BBC Music Magazine Christmas 2020 Cover CD Toby Young The Owl Choir of Queen's College, Oxford/Owen Rees BBC Music Magazine Christmas 2020 Cover CD Extracts from Handel's Messiah Taverner Choir and Players/Andrew Parrott Virgin Veritas 562 0042 Peter Warlock Bethlehem Down Christmas at St George's Windsor Choir of St George's Windsor/James Vivian Hyperion CDA 68281 First Listen Choices: Christmas at St George's Windsor Choir of St George's Windsor/James Vivian Hyperion CDA 68281 Advent Carols from King's College, London Choir of King's College, London/Joseph Fort Delphian DCD34226 Tchaikovsky The Nutcracker State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia 'Evgeny Svetlanov'/Vladimir Jurowski Pentatone PTC5186761 For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy