A look at Carols and Concerts around the country...

Carols

CORK

Pre-Christmas narrations and musicwith the cathedral choir. St Finbarr's Cathedral, Dec 7, 7pm. 021-4963387.

Nine Lessons and Carolsat St Finbarr's Cathedral, Dec 21 Dec 24, 4pm. 021-4963387

DERRY

Civic choirs and WELB Youth OrchestraChristmas carols at the Guildhall. December 13, 8pm. £6/£3, 048-71264455, derrycity.gov.uk

DUBLIN

Carols for FreedomMary Black, Emer Kenny and RTÉ Cór na nÓg are the guests at this year's Amnesty International fundraising concert. Christ Church Cathedral, Dec 6, 8pm; wine reception in cathedral crypt at 7pm. €25, ticketmaster.ie

Festival of CarolsTo celebrate the 10th birthday of Sister Stanislaus Kennedy's inner-city Sanctuary in Stanhope Street, the Dublin Gospel Choir and Gardiner Street choir will lead the singing. President's Hall, Law Society, Blackhall Place, Dec 8, 6.30pm. sanctuary.ie

Lassus Scholars and Piccolo LassoCarols, National Museum Collins Barracks. Dec 6, 2pm 3pm. Also at Ulster Bank Group Centre, George's Quay on Dec 22, 1.15pm.

The Glory of Pucciniwith sporano Miriam Murphy, National Concert Hall, Dec 14, 8pm. 01-4539663, dublinchoralfoundation.ie.

Carols at Christ ChurchJoin the cathedral choir for a celebration of Christmas music. Christ Church Dec 10, 8 pm. €18/€14, 01-6778099, e-mail: music@cccdub.ie.

Carols at St Patrick'sThis year's service will be on Dec 16, 6pm, stpatrickscathedral.ie

New Dublin VoicesCarols for Christmas Ireland's choir of the year 2008 sing music old and new. Draíocht, Blanchardstown, Dec 20, 4pm. €12-€16, 01-8852622, e-mail: marketing@draiocht.ie

Lunchtime charity serviceA service with the cathedral girls' choir and the lay vicars' choral. Collection in aid of Camphill Communities project. Christ Church Catherdral, Dec 16, 1.10pm, cccdub.ie

Nine Lessons and CarolsServices will be held at St Patrick's Cathedral, Dec 21, 3.15pm; at Christ Church Cathedral, Dec 21, 3.30pm and at Adam and Eve's Church Merchant Quay, Dec 21, 7.30 pm. No tickets required, early arrival advisable.

City SoundsRTÉ Cór na nÓg, the Christmas Brass Quintet and pianist Alison Thomas bring their selection of carols and seasonal favourites to St Ann's Church, Dawson Street, Dec 19, 6pm. €12/€6, 0818-205205

GALWAY

International Aids Day Candlelit memorial concertwith Delia Boyce, Sandra Schalk, Eamonn Murray and Cois Cladaigh choir. St Nicholas's Collegiate Church, Dec 1, 8pm. Adm free.

MEATH

Evening of songs and carols with the Navan Silver Band, Solstice Arts Centre, Navan, Dec 14, 8pm. €15/€13, 046-9092300, e-mail: info@solsticeartscentre.ie

MAYO

Carol serviceGalway Choral Association, Mayo Girls' Choir and the Bell Choir join forces at Ballintubber Abbey, Dec 14, 5pm

Concerts

CORK

The Spirit of ChristmasCelebrate the season with the flutes, harps and period costumes of the Locrian Ensemble, a group of London-based Irish musicians. City Hall, Cork, Dec 14, 8pm. Tickets €25/€20, Pro Musica, Oliver Plunkett Street

DUBLIN

Christmas with the Palestrina Choir(see below) A seasonal celebration at the National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dec 4, 8pm. €12-€25, 01-4170000, nch.ie

A Christmas GalaTenor Jonathan Ansell joins mezzo Fiona Murphy and the St Patrick's Cathedral choir for classical, movie and opera favourites. Introduced by George Hook. Dec 6, 8pm. €30-€40, 01-4170000, nch.ie

Adolf Fredrik Youth ChoirCelebrate the start of the Christmas season as they do in Sweden with a service in honour of St Lucia, symbolic of the renewal of light in the midst of winter darkness. Christ Church Cathedral, Dec 8, 8pm. €10, swedenabroad.com/dublin

Jack and Mac Sleigh Them for ChristmasTongue-twisting ditties with a seasonal flavour as the inimitable voice-and-piano duo. Compose your own alternative Christmas carol and win a prize. Mill Theatre, Dundrum, Dec 7, 8pm. €18/€15, 01-2969340, milltheatre.com

Joy to the WorldA chance to catch international soprano Cara O'Sullivan on her home turf, with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, the UCD Scholars and conductor David Brophy. National Concert Hall, Dec 9, 8pm. €10.50-€37, 01-4170000, nch.ie

Lunchtime ConcertsThe RTÉ NS0 presents a series of three lunchtime concerts: A Russian Christmas, Winter Dreams and Festive Favourites. Music by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Rossini, Vivaldi, Verdi, Prokofiev and Humperdinck. Guest sopranos are, respectively, Celine Byrne, Lynda Lee and Helen Kearns. National Concert Hall, Dec 10, Dec 17 and Dec 19, 1.05pm. €10, 01-4170000, nch.ie

Messiaen magnifiqueTo complete his mammoth performance of the organ works of Messiaen throughout the composer's centenary year, Christ Church cathedral organist Tristan Russcher plays La Nativite du Seigneur (The Birth of Christ). St Patrick's Cathedral, Dec 17, 6.30pm, stpatrickscathedal.ie

A Glorious Choral ChristmasThe Culwick Choral Society together with the Culwick String Ensemble and the Ottoni Brass Ensemble presents Saint-Saëns' Oratorio de Noel, plus carols. National Concert Hall, Dec 17, 8pm. €12-€25, 01-4170000, nch.ie

They Don't Sing Like in the Old DaysWarm the cockles of your heart with an old-fashioned singalong in the company of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, conductor Gearóid Grant and guests at The Helix, DCU, Dec 21 22, 8pm. €18-€37, 01-7007000, thehelix.ie

KILKENNY

SonasEnjoy an evening of song, story and mulled wine in the beautiful surroundings of Rothe House. Sonas, the all-female choir, are joined by local musicians. Dec 3, 7.30pm. €20, 056-7722893, rothehouse.com. Money raised goes towards the conservation of Rothe House.

LAOIS

Eimear QuinnThe soprano sings Christmas music accompanied by string quartet, harp and guitar. Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise, Dec 7, 8pm. €20, 057-8663355, e-mail: info@dunamaise.ie

MAYO

The Holly Bears a BerryCelebrate the winter solstice and the coming of Christmas with musician Emer Mayock and guests. Museum of Country Life, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Dec 21, 3pm. Adm free but booking advised, 094-9031751, museum.ie

WATERFORD

Coffee concertJohn Taverner's Hymn to the Mother of God, Allegri's Miserere and Eric Sweeney's Magnificat are on the programme for this Advent concert. Christ Church Cathedral, Nov 30, noon. €7/€5, christchurchwaterford.com

DERRY

CodettaThe city's Christmas festival comes to a close with a performance of Handel's Messiah by Codetta, the City of Derry Youth Orchestra and soloists. Guildhall, Dec 20, 7.30pm. £10/£6, 048-71264455 or derrycity.gov.uk

DUBLIN

Culwick Choral SocietyThe society performs with conductor Bernie Sherlock and soloists Sally Harrison, Tanya Sewell, Eamonn Mulhall and John Molloy. Proceeds in aid of Bóthar. St Patrick's Cathedral, Dec 3-4, 8pm. €30, 01-4981888, e-mail: messiah@bothar.ie

Our Lady's Choral Societywith the National Sinfonia Proinnsias Ó Duinn conducts this traditional performance of Handel's Messiah, with soloists Lynda Lee, Robin Tritschler, Ulrike Schneider and Ian Caddy. National Concert Hall, Dec 10-12, 8pm. €35/€30, 01-4170000, nch.ie

TOURING

Irish Baroque OrchestraThis period-instrument performance of Handel's Messiah with Resurgam, directed from the harpsichord by Gary Cooper with soloists Katherine Manley, James Oxley, Martin Robson and Christopher Ainslie (counter-tenor), will tour to three of the country's most beautiful performance spaces: Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, Barronstrand Street, Waterford, Dec 10, 7.30pm, €25/€20, 051-855038; St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, Dec 11, 7.30pm, €25/€15, 01-4539472; St Nicholas's Collegiate Church, Galway, Dec 12, 7.30pm, €25/€18, 01-4023518.

Turning Pro: Cathedral starts girls' choir

FOR many of us it's the ultimate Christmas sound: a boy's soprano soaring to the heavens as it begins the ancient story: "Once in Royal David's City . . ." Many of us, though, are hopelessly out of date. There's no reason why girls can't sing this music just as well - and from this year onwards, Dublin's three cathedrals will all have choirs for girls.

"We're finally starting a girls' choir at the Pro-Cathedral," says the conductor of the Palestrina Choir, Blanaid Murphy. "It's brilliant, because the other two cathedrals have had them for years. After a lot of effort and fundraising, the parish council has got the go-ahead from the administrator and from the archbishop."

Murphy is currently auditioning for girls aged between seven and 14. "It's such great training for kids, a cathedral choir," she says. "Why shouldn't girls have it too?" Why indeed. Boys, however, aren't easily upstaged - and as if to show potential female rivals just how high are the stakes in the cathedral choir business, the Palestrina boys and men have released a gorgeous new Christmas CD.

Frankly, it would make even the toughest feminist theologian well up when the boy probationers - choristers aged about seven who have just started their training - launch themselves at Away in a Manger. The choir will be in action at the National Concert Hall on December 4th, when they will be joined by the Orchestra of St Cecilia and guests Alison Browner and Sylvia O'Brien. Everyone has his or her own taste in seasonal music shows, of course.

But for my money, this is a pretty unbeatable programming combination: something old (Vivaldi's gloriously OTT baroque Gloria), something new (Lubeck's Christmas Cantata, a 10-minute piece for boys and strings which Murphy describes as "totally charming"), plenty of traditional fare (carols and familiar Christmas material, including those inimitable boy probationers) and - last but definitely not least - a generous helping of Irish-language carols. Happy Christmas, indeed.

• The Palestrina Choir will perform at the National Concert Hall on Dec 4 at 8pm. Christmas with the Palestrina Choiris available in record shops at €17.99