DEC. 1 (Tonight)
Nanaimo-raised Allison Crowe returns to Vancouver Island for a Tidings Concert in support of Artemis Place and HepCBC.
As a youngster, Crowe had a book of piano and voice music for Christmas carols, she told the sa国际传媒 in 2009. She began playing The First Noel each year back then, and continued the tradition with an annual Tidings Concert. Her cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah has also been a regular entry on the program, in years past.
The concert takes place at Fair-field United Church at 8 p.m.
Billie Woods joins Crowe on stage. Advance tickets are $25 or $20 for students and seniors, available at Lyle's Place, Larsen Music, Ivy's Bookshop and allisoncrowe.com.
Crowe will also perform Tidings at Nanaimo's Fitzwilliam Gate to the Heritage Mews (Dec. 5, 5 p.m.) and St. Andrew's United Church (Dec. 8, 7 p.m.).
Trade the oom-pah-pah for a more varied score when the typically solo tubists and euphonium players join in Market Square for the 34th annual Tuba Christmas.
The annual sa国际传媒 fundraiser is the first sign of the holiday season for many. More than 60 players are expected to appear and donations will be collected for the sa国际传媒 Christmas Fund.
"It takes a community to help the most vulnerable," said organizer Eugene Dowling. "But hopefully we can create little things of beauty throughout the season too."
Oak Bay United Church presents the fifth annual Christmas on the Mountain, a bluegrass concert to support the homeless.
The concert features John Reischman & The Jaybirds. Under their lead mandolin player, the Jaybirds include guitarist Jim Nunally, fiddler Greg Spatz, banjo player Nick Hornbuckle and Trisha Gagnon on bass.
Tickets are $25 at rmts.bc.ca, 250-386-6121 and Oak Bay United Church.
New arrangements of traditional Christmas music are on the program for the Allegra Singer Winter Concert at the Garth Homer Centre.
The 50-member community choir performs at 2 p.m.
Admission is $12 with discounts for seniors, students and families at the door.
They'll sing classics like Deck the Halls, as well as modern tunes like Goin' on a Sleigh Ride. Other songs include The Sleigh, Welsh Lullaby, the Beatles' Eleanor Rigby, All for the Best from God-spell and Frank Sinatra's New York, New York.
Door prizes include a bottle of wine, a spa treatment, jewelry and more.
DEC. 2
Join the chorus or just take in the tunes. More than 100 people are expected to gather at Carol-Along with the Carillon Sunday at 4: 30 p.m.
The Provincial Carilloneur climbs 75 spiral steps for 22 seasonal hits during the singalong.
Members of the Newcombe Choir lead the carols, which are followed by the lighting of the carillon.
Hot chocolate, cookies and song sheets are provided. The event will take place in most weather conditions, except high winds.
DEC. 3
Who does a Christmas carol better than a kid?
The Victoria Children's Choir showcases the voices of 50 of them, between eight and 18. Their annual Classical Christmas concert features a program of challenging choral arrangements and seasonal songs.
The choir aims to please your varied carol tastes, singing everything from traditional works to contemporary stylings, audience singalongs and timeless classics.
"We're one of the first concerts that happens and we like to set the stage for a Christmas of joy," said artistic director and founder Madeleine Humer.
Special guests the Victoria Baroque Players and the St.
Christopher Singers join in.
The program includes: The Donkey Carol by John Rutter, Walking in the Air from Raymond Briggs's The Snowman, the North American premi猫re of a work by Paul Esterh脙隆zy, 11 French No脙芦ls by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, pieces by Louis XIV's composer Henri du Mont and more.
The concert is at Christ Church Cathedral, 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $20 regular or $15 students/seniors at the door. Children eight and under are free.
"I know it's hokey and trite, but ours features very upbeat music, despite being from the baroque era," said Humer. "They had fun too. It's very joyous and very happy."
Changing the pace for a different audience, The Choir plays a Family Christmas Concert Dec. 9, 3 p.m. at St. John the Divine.
Entry is free, but audience members are encouraged to donate hats, scarves and other winter-wear to Our Place.
This one is for the kids and includes a few special guests including Louise Rose and her Open Door Choir, as well as "a surprise visit from someone who's usually around on the 25th."
Gizmo the Elf will guide kids through a loose story that weaves the carols together.
"The kids love doing these concerts," Humer said. "They're as comfortable with music from 300 years ago as the Reindeer Jive."
They also love sharing music, she said.
"And that's what it's really about," she said. "To help people get in the Christmas mood."
For nearly half a century, Victoria voices dedicate a week to holiday songs.
The 47th annual Carolling Week returns to the Victoria City Hall Antechamber Monday through Friday from noon to 12: 40 p.m.
Students from several school choirs join the long-standing tradition. Rod Berod accompanies on keyboard and Al Ferraby of CFAX 1070 is master of ceremonies.
Monday: Victoria West Elementary, Craigflower Elementary and George Jay Elementary perform.
Tuesday it's Christ Church Cathedral School and Tillicum Elementary. Wednesday it's Sir James Douglas Elementary and Elizabeth Buckley School. And Friday it's St. Andrews Elementary and Glenlyon-Norfolk School.
Guests can pick up one-hour free parking vouchers for the Centennial Square or Johnson Street parkades at the public service centre counter at City Hall.
DEC. 7
It's all about nostalgia this year for the Peninsula Singers.
The community choir has dedicated their holiday concert, A Christmas to Remember, to songs that make you do just that.
"What I wanted to do was just bring back all the wonderful memories you had from childhood about Christmas," said artistic director Glenda Korella.
The group has borrowed the show title from Amy Grant's song of the same name. They'll also perform a mixed bag of seasonal offerings, including a gospel-infused Hark! the Herald Angels Sing, a dramatic rendition of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker March, a calipso Bethlehem Hallelu, Mister Santa sung to the tune of Mister Sandman, as well as and Getting in the Mood for Christmas, sung to the tune of Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.
"We have quite a range," Korella said.
As per tradition, the concert features talented young artists - in this case the Collegium Piano Quintet.
The best part of each concert for the 64-member mixed choir, however, is mixing with the audience in the lobby after the show.
"The excitement when they're leaving is what's really gratifying," Korella said.
"They just feel uplifted and that's what our shows are about, making them feel better than they did when they came in."
Performances are Dec. 7 and 8 at 7: 30 p.m. and Dec. 9 at 2 p.m. at the Mary Winspear Centre in Sidney. Tickets are $22 for adults or $11 for children, available through the box office, 250-656-0275.
Proceeds go to the Saanich Peninsula Hospital Foundation's music therapy program.
Non-perishable food donations will be accepted for the Sidney Food Bank.
