Royal Opera revive David McVicar’s The Magic Flute. Photo: ©ROH_Bill Cooper

IF you don’t like choral music, give some serious thought to hibernation through the next week because choirs are everywhere in London: it’s the time of year. And if nothing else it’s a reminder that while so much in the music world is struggling against decline, choral groups are flourishing as never before.

For nuts and bolts carol concerts there’s something most nights of the week at St Martin in the Fields, including music for children (stmartin-in-the-fields.com). But for more elevated stuff, head to St John’s, Smith Square where the 37th annual Christmas Festival is still in business, and where I can recommend the mixed-voice choir of Clare College, Cambridge who do seasonality with style on Dec 18 (sjss.org.uk). Overshadowed in the past by the neighbouring, all-male Cambridge choirs of King’s and John’s, Clare is a distinctive presence these days under its smart, supercharged director Graham Ross, and you’ll be impressed by its virtuosity.

But you’ll also be impressed by the Choir of Trinity, Cambridge who join the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment for a period-conscious performance of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio at St John’s Smith Square on Dec 22. And the following night their busy director Stephen Layton returns to the same venue with a different choir, the ultra-professional Polyphony, for what should be the classiest Messiah of the season. sjss.org.uk

Something else to note at St John’s Smith Square, though, is the excellent London Choral Sinfonia on Dec 20. Their name makes them sound like some sprawling amateur choral society, but they’re actually a lean, young, professional choir with orchestra who do great things under conductor Michael Waldron. Trust me. Or rather, them. sjss.org.uk

For those who aren’t Messiah’d out, there are also accounts from the stalwart Crouch End Festival Chorus (extracts only, not the whole thing) at St Michael’s Highgate, Dec 17 (cefc.org.uk) and from the Hanover Band at Kings Place, Dec 19 (kingsplace.co.uk).

Meanwhile at the Barbican there’s a predictably exquisite evening of Christmas music by Charpentier from Les Arts Florissants, Dec 19, and a not so seasonal Brahms German Requiem from the London Symphony Orchestra and Simon Rattle, repeating Dec 17 & 18 (barbican.org.uk).

But there are two more church-based choral concerts worth considering. One is Dec 19 at St Cyprian, Clarence Gate when Ensemble Pro Victoria sing Britten’s miraculously beautiful Ceremony of Carols on Dec 19 (marylebonetheatre.com). The other is at St Gabriel’s Pimlico on Dec 17 when the Holst Singers – not fully professional but near as damn it: they’re astonishingly good – do Christmas rep under the ubiquitous Stephen Layton. For yes, this is another of his choirs, and by no means the least (holstsingers.com)

Not to be outdone in festive cheer, the Royal Opera have a seasonal revival of their Mozart Magic Flute, magically staged by David McVicar and conducted this time round by the interesting young Russian (don’t hold that against him) Maxim Emelyanychev. Runs Dec 16-Jan 28. roh.org.uk