Britten at Christmas
Start your Christmas season with three festive gems by Benjamin Britten: the precocious A Boy was born, written aged 19; the much-loved A Ceremony of Carols for upper voices and harp; and the vivid storytelling of Saint Nicolas – as we join forces with the CBSO to mark his 50th anniversary.
Running time approx. 2 hours 10 minutes including interval.
Britten A Boy was Born
Britten A Ceremony of Carols
Britten Saint Nicolas
EX CATHEDRA Choir & Academy of Vocal Music
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Jeffrey Skidmore conductor
Sebastian Hill tenor
Katherine Thomas harp
How to book
Priority booking for our Host of Angels opens from 12 May 2026, with our grateful thanks to all our Angels for your support. If you are an Angel, we have emailed your access code.
General sale opens on 21 May 2026.
£48.50 / £39.50 / £31 / £22 including per ticket commission
£15 - aged 18-30, not in full-time education
£8 - under 18s and students in full-time education
Book online or call the B:Music box office on 0121 780 3333
Ex Cathedra is an Associate Artist at Symphony Hall & Town Hall (B:Music venues)
Buy 3+ concerts & save up to £8 per ticket
There are considerable savings if you book tickets for 3 or more different concerts at the same time from the B:Music box office. Find full details on our Ways to save page.
B:Music operates a Ticket Exchange Scheme if your plans change.
Getting there
Find details on the venue website here.
Access
Everyone is welcome at Ex Cathedra’s concerts, and we are committed to doing all we can to ensure you have a great experience.
You can find access information on the B:Music website here, including details of B:Music's partnership with Nimbus Disability.
If you have any other access questions, please contact us, we are happy to help.
Concert FAQs
Find answers to your questions here. Do let us know if we've missed anything you'd find helpful.
Jeffrey says
"Britten at Christmas celebrates the 50th anniversary of one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. Sebastian Hill, a recent Ex Cathedra Scholar bound for stardom, is the seasonal Saint Nicolas. This popular Britten cantata typically brings together the whole Ex Cathedra family with the choir, CBSO, our Academy of Vocal Music, community choirs, and a guest Youth Choir. CBSO principal harpist Katherine Thomas accompanies the joyful and perennially fresh A Ceremony of Carols and the programme is completed with the virtuosic set of unaccompanied choral variations A Boy was Born."
