Festive classical numbers and carol favourites are a sure fire way to get into Christmas spirit in the run up to the holidays. With that in mind the Nottingham Classics Christmas Concert is ever a popular date in the classical music calendar.

Laying on the music for us this year was the The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by the renowned Carl Davis CBE, who rustled up a rich range of seasonal melodies in his festive tail coats.

Interestingly this isn’t the first time Carl’s musical touch has carried through the Royal Centre halls this season. Earlier in the year Northern Ballet Theatre performed festive classic ‘A Christmas Carol’ to a score by Carl. With that in mind he explained to an attentive audience how the sound of ‘Bah Humbug’ was written into the score before giving us a rendition, a scene where Scrooge’s nephew and niece visit their Uncle in his counting house and try to bring some Christmas cheer into his life – ‘Bah Humbug!’

On the choral side of the show the Liverpool Welsh Choral Union were keeping things covered and, in fine voice without a hint of scouse, helped the audience to experience a roof raising Hallelujah chorus from Handel’s Messiah for the finale. The soloist was soprano Elin Manahan Thomas (pictured), who demonstrated a wonderful range singing excerpts from Messiah and the hauntingly beautiful I Wonder as I Wander by John Jacob Niles.

The highlight of the evening has to be Thelma Handy’s violin solo the Meditation from Massenet’s opera Thias. Her sensitive interpretation had the audience totally entranced. Fine skills indeed, Thelma teaches at the Royal College of music.

The audience enjoyed the wide range of music and song in the programme including the music of Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty, Laudate Dominum sung brilliantly by Elin Mahanan Thomas and Christmas classics including Jingle Bells, Little Donkey and White Christmas plus traditional carols Angels from the Realms of Glory and the Twelve Days of Christmas. The result was a wonderful atmosphere in the Concert Hall, with genuinely enjoyable contrasts of music and song. Scrooges need not attend.

Nottingham Classics Christmas Concert was held on Wednesday December 16 2009 in the Royal Concert Hall Nottingham.