Ken Lavigne will be taking the popular expression 鈥済o big or go home鈥� one step further next week when he does both at the Royal Theatre.
Fresh from his Great Canadian Songbook tour of sa国际传媒 and Ontario with Tiller鈥檚 Folly and Yukon folk-roots singer Diyet, the tenor said he couldn鈥檛 be happier being home for Christmas.
It鈥檚 a luxury that Lavigne, who lives in Chemainus with his wife, Alice, and their three children 鈥� Grace, 13, Lucy, 12, and Geordie, 8 鈥� wasn鈥檛 able to afford last year because of his busy schedule.
Since he was touring, he couldn鈥檛 present a Christmas concert in Victoria, but he鈥檚 making up for it big time this year with his I鈥檒l Be Home for Christmas concert Tuesday night.
Lavigne will be accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra and guest star Stephanie Greaves in a concert of Yuletide music, from classical pieces to perennial favourites such as White Christmas and Sleigh Ride.
A highlight will be what he describes as 鈥淰ictoria鈥檚 largest snowball fight鈥� at the Royal Theatre, with audience members of all ages invited to participate.
鈥淚鈥檝e done this before. It鈥檚 a tremendous highlight and fun for kids and grownups. Seeing a couple who鈥檝e been married 50 years act like they鈥檙e eight years old again is great,鈥� he said.
He described his new musical undertaking as both 鈥渢hrilling and terrifying,鈥� but promises music lovers a show with an 鈥渋ncredible depth of colour and music.鈥�
鈥淭here鈥檚 going to be a lot of bodies on that stage, and co-ordinating that is a huge effort, but there鈥檚 been a lot of goodwill from my musician friends I鈥檓 really grateful for.鈥�
As a performer, being backed by a full orchestra is an experience unlike any other, Lavigne said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of like you鈥檙e surfing with this enormous wave at your back, or you鈥檙e strapped to the front end of a freight train, propelled by this great power behind you.
鈥淲hen it goes well, the hairs on your neck stand on end, and there鈥檚 no greater thrill than doing this kind of show.鈥�
Some of the seasonal hits audiences can expect include It Came Upon the Midnight Clear, Away in a Manger, O Come All Ye Faithful and Santa Baby.
Lavigne and Greaves, with whom he sang for years at the Naden Band鈥檚 annual Navy Christmas concerts in support of the Salvation Army toy drive, will partner on several tunes, including The Prayer.
Another bonus, said Lavigne, will be when his daughters join him onstage for a musical number.
