Sydney Philharmonia Choirs Carols at the House Sydney Opera House Concert Hall December 12 – 14

Hosted by Mitchell Butel, with special guests Annie Aitken and Alexander Lewis

Join Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and friends for the most dazzling and joyous musical celebration of the season, Carols at the House, with three concerts to choose from on December 12, 13 and 14.

For this year’s event, conductor Brett Weymark and the Sydney Philharmonia Christmas Choir and Orchestra are joined by three shining stars of the musical stage, with award-winning actor, director, writer and producer, Mitchell Butel, currently Artistic Director of Sydney Theatre Company, playing compere; and two of Australia’s favourite musical theatre talents, Annie Aitken and Alexander Lewis, helping sing up a storm.

 

 

Weymark and Butel are long-time friends and collaborators and have had a lot of fun scheming a festive program of seasonal favourites such as Joy to the World, Away in a Manger, Silent Night, The Twelve Days of Christmas and of course, Jingle Bells;peppered with unexpected and magical delights including Eric Whitacre’s Sing Gently, Tim Minchin’s When I Grow Up, from Matilda, Stephen Sondheim’s Children Will Listen, from Into the Woods, and many more.

A highlight of the program, guaranteed to bring a smile to everyone’s lips, will the premiere of a newly commissioned work from Australian composer Joe Twist, Christmas in Summer, inspired by “the unique joy of Christmas spent under the blazing sun” complete with melting pavlovas, sweating Santas, sand sculpted snowmen, “laughter, joy and so much fun”.

 

 

Twist’s new work is one of three tunes that audiences will be hearing, that have made their debut as part of ABC Classic’s annual Classic Choirs program, alongside pieces from fellow Aussie composers Katie Noonan, All is Love, and Deborah Cheetham Fraillon, The Christmas Card.

Those who attended Sydney Philharmonia’s Carols at the House in 2023 – when the Choirs collaborated with ABC Classic to premiere Elena Kats-Chernin’s Summer Together, will know what this means. With the songbook for Christmas Summer available online now, everyone’s invited to join in.

For audience members with a fondness for participation, this will be one of a several fun opportunities to take part in the festivities. And maybe next year you might even think about joining the Christmas Choir onstage, at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall.

 

 

However, for those who prefer to sing on the inside, we invite you to sit back and enjoy what promises to be a spectacular evening or afternoon of heartwarming entertainment, brought to life by hundreds of singers, stars of the musical stage and a splendid orchestra, under the baton of Sydney Philharmonia Choirs’ inimitable Artistic and Music Director, Brett Weymark.

Shares Weymark:

I look forward to Carols at the House every second year as it is a real chance for us to spread some much-needed Christmas cheer and let our hair down a little and have some jolly good fun.

With three fantastic soloists, a large symphony orchestra and a massive choir singing a range of traditional carols through to those fresh off the page, it’s a real chance to not only show off our wonderful choristers but also introduce you to some new carols that will quickly become classics.

You will hear everything from Bach through to gospel and of course, will be lending your own voice to a few carols as well, with the help of the grand organ of the Sydney Opera House. Festive, silly and pure fun! A perfect Christmas celebration.

Carols at the House is a much-loved Sydney tradition and sure to sell out. Book now to secure your preferred day, time and seating. There are three concerts to choose from – 8pm Friday December 12 and Saturday December 13, 2pm Sunday December 14.

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Season Details

Venue: Concert Hall
Date: 12 – 14 Dec 2025

For more information click HERE