Concerts in December

As is usually the case at this time of the year, music lovers have an abundance of choices for live music in the city, with some big names and some less well-known bands all arriving to spread their Xmas cheer.

In something like chronological order, the main bands to play are Mando Diao, Patrick Watson, Enter Shikari, Ismael Serrano, Marilyn Manson, The Prodigy, UFO, Chymera, Shaunna Hall, Franz Ferdinand, Arch Enemy, The Editors + The Maccabees + Wintersleep, Cass McCombs, Deertick, Devandra Banhart,  A Place to Bury Strangers, Health, The Pastels, Scout Niblett, Marillion, Paradise Lost, and Living Colour. Of the groups, I'd recommend A Place to Bury Strangers which is a combination of sludge and shoe gaze with a pop sensibility. For complete listings pop over to BarcelonaRocks.



Classical music lovers are also well catered for, with full programmes at the Palau de la Música, L’Auditori and the Gran Teatre del Liceu.

At the Palau de la Música, the visiting Belarus Philharmonic Society will be performing Mozart’s “Requiem” and “Symphony Number 40″ on the 5th of December, Handel’s “Messiah” on the 6th, Karl Orff’s “Carmina Burana” and Beethoven’s “9th Symphony” on the 7th, and a concert version of Verdi’s “La Traviata” on the 8th. On the 9th the Ensemble Aurora will entertain with an evening of music by J.S. Bach. The Strauss Festival Orchestra will perform on the 19th, 20th, 24th, and 31st. There are also 4 performances by choirs, the Alabama Gospel Choir on the 5th and 27th of December, the Soweto Gospel Choir on the 17th, and the Choir Uganda Natumayini on the 27th. Finally, a mention should be given to Russian Red who play the Palau on the 11th of the month, and the Matthew Herbert Big Band, who will entertain on the 12th. For the complete programme, please visit the Palau de la Música site.

Over at the L’Auditori, there are so many concerts that it would take a day to go through them all. The highlights we’ve selected begin with choral performances: the Angel’s in Harlem Gospel Choir play on the 9th, the Alabama Gospel Choir on the 12th, and the Bridget Bazile Singers on the 23rd. On the 26th and the 29th the Szeged Philharmonic of Hungary present their Gran Gala Strauss, performing a selection of the best waltzes composed by the Strauss family. Keeping the Strauss theme going, the Strauss Festival Orchestra perform their New Year Concert on the 28th of December, and on the 1st of January 2010. For details on these, and many, many more concerts visit the L’Auditori site.

Finally, opera lovers can catch Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” which runs from the 2nd of December until the 30th at El Gran Teatre del Liceu. There will be performances on December 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 27, 29, and 30. You can book your tickets in advance at Liceu Barcelona.

For anyone looking for short term rentals, At-Home-Barcelona has a good selection of places for couples and groups alike and the same post thanks to Tony!