The Sixteen open Saffron Hall's new Chelmsford Cathedral series on 11 December, then the OAE in February and Jess Gillam in March. Seats run from £19 to £41.
Saffron Hall, the concert hall in Saffron Walden, is bringing a series of three concerts to Chelmsford Cathedral this winter. The choir The Sixteen opens it on Friday 11 December, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment follows on Thursday 11 February 2027, and saxophonist Jess Gillam and her band close it on Thursday 11 March 2027. All three start at 7.30pm, and tickets are on sale now (Saffron Hall).
The hall says many of its regular audience already travel from Chelmsford to Saffron Walden, and it hopes these first three nights become the foundations of a regular programme in the city.
The quick answer
- What: three concerts presented by Saffron Hall at Chelmsford Cathedral, New Street, CM1 1TY.
- When: Friday 11 December 2026, Thursday 11 February 2027 and Thursday 11 March 2027, each at 7.30pm.
- Tickets: £21 to £41 for The Sixteen, £21 to £39 for the OAE, £19 to £37 for Jess Gillam, each including a £1 commission (prices checked 26 October 2026).
- Booking: saffronhall.com/articles/chelmsford, chelmsfordcathedral.org.uk or the box office on 0845 548 7650 (7p a minute plus your access charge). Access bookings: 01799 588545.
The Sixteen at Christmas, 11 December
The series opens with Christmas music from The Sixteen, a choir Saffron Hall calls “one of the world’s best-loved vocal ensembles”. The programme mixes traditional carols with newer pieces, from Carol of the Bells to music by John Rutter, Benjamin Britten, Morten Lauridsen and Bob Chilcott, and the audience gets to join in three times: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, O Little Town of Bethlehem and O Come, All Ye Faithful.
Seats in the premium block cost £41, Block A £35, Block E £29 and the side-facing Block B £25, with the rest of the nave and restricted-view seats at £21.
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, 11 February
The OAE plays on period instruments, and its February programme is built around Handel’s Water Music, with Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 and music by Vivaldi, Albinoni, Geminiani, Purcell and Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre. Tickets run from £21 to £39.
Jess Gillam and her Band, 11 March
The last of the three is the most informal. Gillam, who has played Saffron Hall before, brings her own hand-picked band and a set list the hall describes as moving “effortlessly from Bach to Bowie”. It is also the cheapest night of the series, at £19 to £37.
Why Chelmsford
Saffron Hall opened in 2013 on the campus of Saffron Walden County High School, where its 740-seat auditorium doubles as the school hall. It started with a first season of 12 concerts and says it sold more than 55,000 tickets last year. The Chelmsford series is part of its wider work across Essex, which already includes partnerships with schools in the city.
Angela Dixon MBE, the hall’s chief executive, said: “We’ve been welcoming audiences from Chelmsford to Saffron Hall for many years, so it’s wonderful to now be bringing some of the fantastic musicians they know and love right to their doorstep.
“Chelmsford Cathedral is such a beautiful place to experience live music, and we’re really excited about these first three concerts. We hope they’re just the beginning of something much bigger, allowing us to bring more great music to the heart of the city, get to know new audiences and communities, and build on the work we’re already doing with Chelmsford schools.”
Getting there
The cathedral is about five minutes’ walk from Chelmsford station, and the nearest car park is Waterloo Lane. For more of the city’s festive music, see our guide to Christmas concerts and carols in Chelmsford.
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