Here’s a seasonal show that never puts a festive foot wrong.
It is a much loved annual joyous celebration that sings out the news that Christmas has arrived.
Ian Tracey is the conductor with a welcoming smile to light up the stage alone.
The Spirit of Christmas season has something for everyone and these concerts are finely tuned to cater for all ages so much so that you can happily drift off along with the atmosphere and feel the snow falling in this hallowed hall.
The Philharmonic Choir and Youth Choir raised the roof on the sublime O Little Town of Bethlehem.
And we in the audience weren’t bad, too.
The two, 135 minute production - with an interval - packs in a lot where traditional meets modern when it come to carols, merry monologues and funny poems.
Simple backdrop projections of candles, a snowflake ballerina and the First World War December 25 truce add poignancy to the sounds of Christmas - which are sensitive and sweeping, majestic and merry.
The uplifting Shepherd’s Pipe Carol by John Rutter and Daniel Bishop’s singalong Christmas Medley just two of many highlights.
Compere John Suchet looks as though he is enjoying every moment.
And this year’s special guest is Jennifer Johnston not only a talented mezzo soprano but a smashing personality recalling her pride in her home town of Liverpool and a lovely anecdotes about her accident-prone nature.
She is pitch perfect from the opening Birthday Carol from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio to the wistful Wexford Carol and a tinsel-tingly In the Bleak Mid-Winter.
The well-balanced show also features lashings of delightful comic touches with The Twelve Days After Christmas and a suitably odd ode about Brexit from the red-waistcoated Mr Suchet who played tribute to the late Richard Baker who was so much part of this special event.
Silent Night, Come All Ye Faithful and Auld Lang Syne make up the rest of The Philharmonic’s unique and magical musical selection box.
Yule love it!
Globe verdict?
Glorious - Five (Sparkling) Stars
Performances are on up until December 23.
For tickets please call the Philharmonic box office on 0151 709 3789 or visit https://www.liverpoolphil.com/
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