Cathedral choirs' Christmas cheer

The Peterborough Cathedral Choir, Youth Choir and Festival Chorus will present a programme which includes Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols, as well as other seasonal favourites, and some familiar carols for the audience to sing.

Local composer and Peterborough Telegraph reviewer Joe Conway’s Minster Carols will be featured during the evening.

This accessible and enjoyable work is a setting of the beautiful ancient texts Sweet was the song the virgin sang and Tomorrow shall be my dancing day.

This will be its second performance.

Joe believes passionately that contemporary classical music should be immediately accessible to everyone regardless of age or background.

With this in mind, his own music is always tuneful and often traditional in its language.

Since moving to Peterborough 10 years ago, Joe has organised performances of many of his song-cycles and piano pieces in local venues such as St John’s Church in the city centre, Helpston Church and Fotheringhay Church, in addition to Cambridge University Faculty of Music and Madingley Hall, Cambridge.

He has been an active music critic, broadcaster and journalist for many years working for BBC Radio Lincolnshire, the Yorkshire Post, Classical Music, the Strad, Lincolnshire Life, the Cambridge Tab and currently the Peterborough Telegraph.

The concert will be conducted by Steven Grahl, the cathedral’s Director of Music.

Tickets are £25, £20, £15 (U-18s half price) and are available online via the cathedral website www.peterborough-cathedral.org.uk or from Peterborough Visitor Information in Bridge Street (01733 452336) or from Oundle Box Office (01832 274734).