Fortnum & Mason’s Christmas score: a chamber orchestra’s festive vision
Composer Mara Carlyle and the London Contemporary Orchestra have crafted an original musical score for Fortnum & Mason's 2026 Christmas film, weaving together cello, harp, oboe, bassoon and cor anglais into a richly layered festive composition.
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The commissioning of original music for seasonal campaigns has become something of an art form among the world’s finest houses, yet few demonstrate the rigour and care that Fortnum & Mason has brought to its 2026 Christmas film. The score, composed by Mara Carlyle and performed by members of the London Contemporary Orchestra, represents a carefully calibrated blend of classical instrumentation, each voice chosen to complement the visual narrative unfolding on screen.
Carlyle’s composition draws upon a palette of five principal instruments: the cello, harp, oboe, bassoon and cor anglais. This selection reflects a considered approach to orchestration, avoiding the predictable bells and tinsel of conventional festive fare in favour of something more nuanced and emotionally resonant. The cor anglais, with its plaintive, woody timbre, brings particular character to the piece, its voice weaving between the brighter articulation of the oboe and the warmth of the cello’s lower register.
The London Contemporary Orchestra, known for its commitment to commissioning new work and nurturing emerging composers, brings a practised sensitivity to the score’s demands. The ensemble’s members, captured in rehearsal and performance, bring the kind of focused attention to detail that transforms composition into living sound, each musician responding to Carlyle’s carefully notated intentions with the precision and musicality the work deserves.
What emerges is neither incidental music nor mere accompaniment, but rather a genuine collaboration between the house’s creative vision and the composers and musicians who bring it to life. The result captures something of the refined sensibility that has characterised Fortnum & Mason across its centuries: an understanding that true luxury resides not in excess, but in the thoughtful selection of elements, each one chosen for its capacity to elevate and enchant. The 2026 Christmas film, set to Carlyle’s score, unfolds as a complete artistic work rather than a commercial gesture.
Imagery courtesy of Fortnum & Mason (@fortnums).