Choirs in Advent at Canberra's Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest

What is it that best defines the spirit of Christmas?

Music must surely be one of the most evocative factors and here in Canberra musical Christmas blessings abound all through December: soaring polyphonic works of early music, traditional carols, favourites from Broadway with a barbershop twist and contemporary works; all these will be featured throughout December at Wesley Uniting Church in four concerts by very different choirs.

Canberra Chordsmen will start the ball rolling on Saturday, December 5 at 2pm with "A Very Merry Concert" – Broadway numbers, soft rock, traditional barbershop tunes, topped off with seasonal carols. Performance co-ordinator Peter Enzerink says that there will be something for everyone, young or old: banter to amuse you, tunes that everyone knows so well and awesome harmonising. The medallist youth quartet The Crunch will be featured along with the seniors quartet Corduroys.

Ezerink says, "We're challenging the stereotype that barbershop singing is only about wheezy old songs, funny hats and candy striped vests."

Chorus president Mike Matthew adds, "People who see us perform are excited by the unique features of barbershop style singing. We often have men come up after a show and ask how they can join our chorus."

Later that same day, at 5.30pm, The Choir of St James', King Street, Sydney, will bridge the centuries presenting sacred and secular works from the 16th century to the present day.

This choir of about 12 adult professional singers has recorded four CDs and broadcasts regularly on ABC Radio. Tony Legge, assistant music director of Opera Australia, has high praise for this group: "I always want to hear the Choir of St James' – not only because it lifts my heart with its perfect singing, but also because, in my opinion, it raises the level of music-making in Sydney to the heights reached by the King's College Cambridge choir." Warren Trevelyan-Jones will direct the choir, accompanied by organist Alistair Nelson.

Two groups, Polifemy and The Gentlemen's Agreement will perform on Saturday, December 12 at 3pm. The concert will feature some lesser known works by Byrd, Tallis, Bassano. Palestrina, Handel, Victoria, Gabrielli and Aichinger.

Director of the all-female ensemble Polifemy, Robyn Mellor, asks in mock horror, "A Christmas concert with no shepherds watching their flocks on a silent night and nary a ding-dong to be heard on the Feast of Stephen? That's the promise for the Advent season by Polifemy and its male counterpart, The Gentlemen's Agreement. What we're aiming for is a concert of contrasts between the vocal ensembles in music with interesting vocal combinations."

These two groups were brought together by Karina Edwards from the High Court when she was seeking to arrange an extra concert in the series of Sunday concerts that have been so popular at the High Court. Mellor says, "And our association developed from then with the eight voices in each ensemble matching harmoniously."

The program will feature music including John Taverner's serene and spiritual Audi vocem de caelo and the Agnus Dei from Thomas Tallis's Christmas Mass as well as a work written by the German composer Melchior Culpius that tells the story, in four parts, of Joseph travelling to Bethlehem with his pregnant wife, Mary. The only modern piece is Gustav Holst's Ave Maria, written in 1900 for women's choir.

Mellor asks, "Why not expand your musical experiences and enjoy some exquisite music from an older time?"

Then it's into Christmas week and a celebration of festive music by The Llewellyn Choir on Saturday, December 19 at 6pm.

Peter Ellis, publicist for the choir, says, "We'll be featuring two very different works in two different languages as well as a new work, Noel, by Canberra musician Calvin Bowman, some traditional carols, two lovely French carols and John Rutter's arrangement of Silent Night as well as his Angels' Carol.

Respighi's pastoral work, Laud to the Nativity, sung in Italian, was premiered on St Cecilia's Day, 1930. In complete contrast is the 1964 Spanish-language, Latin American depiction of the Holy Family, Navidad Nuestra by Argentine composer Ariel Ramirez. "This is something that will really knock your socks off," Ellis says. "It's a wonderful piece in Latin Hispanic style that will really resonate with the audience.

Rowan Harvey Martin will direct the choir with Christina Wilson, Greta Claringbould, Michael Martin and Dominic Harvey as soloists in the main works. Anthony Smith will accompany, playing both piano and organ and there is a small string group as well. "Anthony is an orchestra with two hands," Ellis says. "He's simply extraordinary. We'll have a few traditional carols as well as the bigger works and some other things that are quirky rather than obvious."