By Nicola Lisle

Festive merriment was top of the agenda at the Oxford Bach Choir’s annual carol concert, a fun-filled occasion that would surely have melted the most Scrooge-like of hearts. Much of the evening’s success was down to the energy, enthusiasm and humour of conductor Timothy Byram-Wigfield, whose witty repartee and rapport with the audience ensured that everything went with a swing. There were several opportunities for the audience to sing along – including The Twelve Days of Christmas, in which Byram-Wigfield ambitiously divided the audience into sections. Amazingly, it worked, amid much laughter, and this was one of the highlights of the evening.

Threatening to steal the limelight were the Oxfordshire Young Singers, who sang with confidence and great musicality. In Debbie Campbell’s fun Christmas at School, they demonstrated impressive acting skills, too. There were delightful contributions from professional soprano Tara Bungard, including O Holy Night.

But the night belonged to the Bach Choir, who offered a varied selection of songs, from Pierpont’s jolly Jingle Bells to more devout offerings such as The Angel Gabriel and No Small Wonder, and modern settings These were interspersed with crowd-pleasing favourites such as Away in a Manger and Ding Dong Merrily On High, all adding up to a Christmas-athon that scattered festive cheer like confetti. As always, the choir delivered the songs in impeccable style, with clear diction and a consistently beautiful sound.

There was impressive support throughout from organist Clive Driskill-Smith and 14-year-old Sam Chapman on the cornet. The evening finished in traditional style with a joyful rendition, by choir and audience, of Hark the Herald Angels Sing.