Hertfordshire Philharmonia Orchestra will hold their joint Christmas concert this month with Sir John Lawes Secondary School Chamber Choir.

The concert will take place at 7pm on Saturday, November 30 at High Street Methodist Church in Harpenden.

Tickets are available from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/hertsphil, by emailing tickets@hertsphil.org.uk or calling 01727 857827.

The cost is £15 for adults, £4 for students and £1 for accompanied children under 16.

Along with chamber pieces, the concert will feature solo items performed by A-level students, and the choir will join the orchestra for Faure's 'Cantique de Jean Racine' and Haydn's 'The Heavens are Telling'.

The orchestra will perform congregational carols, Coleridge-Taylor's 'Christmas Overture', Hely-Hutchinson's 'Carol Symphony' and 'Finlandia' by Sibelius.

Australian-born brass performer, choral musician and conductor Anton Kalisch-Smith will conduct the orchestra.

READ MORE

Anton grew up in Brisbane, Queensland and studied brass performance at Queensland Consortium of Music, specialising in the trombone and euphonium.

He began conducting in late 2016 with Musica Antiqua Collegii - a 40-voice choir - and has conducted Lumina Choir since September 2021, taking over from the esteemed Claudio Di Meo.

Anton currently plays trombone with Hemel Symphony Orchestra and freelances in London, while also working as a teacher in Harrow.