Nothing says Christmas like the sound of voices raised in song.
Fans of choral music have plenty of offerings in New Westminster this holiday season.
Both Elektra Women's Choir and musica intima are visiting town once again to perform their Christmas concerts, and New Westminster's own Amabilis Singers also have a holiday concert on offer.
* Elektra kicks it off on Saturday, Nov. 30 with Chez Nous: Christmas with Elektra.
The concert, which is at 2 p.m. at Queens Avenue United Church, features Benjamin Britten's A Ceremony of Carols. The choir will be joined by Vancouver harpist Heidi Krutzen.
"Our audience always comes away from Chez Nous having heard some Christmas melodies that bring back memories, but also having had some surprises," said the choir's artistic director, Morna Edmundson, in a press release. "And what a treat to welcome again Heidi Krutzen for A Ceremony of Carols."
Edmundson and accompanist Stephen Smith are also welcoming the Little Flower Academy Chamber Choir, under the direction of Marizza Mislang, for the concert.
Tickets for Chez Nous: Christmas with Elektra are $28 regular, $22 for seniors and $15 for students with valid ID. Buy at ticketstonight.ca.
For more information, see www.elektra.ca, call 604-739-1255 or email [email protected].
* On Saturday, Dec. 14, the Amabilis Singers are offering up A Christmas Wish.
The concert is taking place at New Westminster Christian Reformed Church at 8255 13th Ave. (between First and Newcombe streets) in Burnaby.
It starts at 2 p.m.
"Come, be moved by the luscious writing of Dan Forrest, the majesty of Mendelssohn's Heilig, Heilig, the stirring purity of Caracciola's There is No Rose and the tenderness of Rutter's Christmas Lullaby," says a notice from the choir.
The concert will also include favourite carols and sing-alongs.
Tickets are $20, or free for children under 12. They're available from all choir members, at the door, or by calling 604-433-6538. See www.amabilissingers.org for more.
* On Saturday evening, Dec. 14, musica intima performs its holiday concert at Knox Presbyterian Church in Sapperton, starting at 7:30 p.m.
The concert, light for the Child, includes works by Benjamin Britten, Kristopher Fulton, Michael Conway Baker and John Burge.
"I love performing here," says Melanie Adams, who runs a voice studio in New Westminster and is currently the ensemble's longest-serving member. "Knox Presbyterian Church is close and intimate, and a beautiful building to sing in. People who find it more difficult to get into Vancouver have a chance to hear music by one of the country's best ensembles."
Tickets are $35 regular, $30 for seniors or $10 for students, with group rates available.
Buy online through www.musicaintima.org or call 604-731-6618.
Knox Church is at 403 East Columbia St.
Do you have a holiday concert or performance we should know about? Email Julie MacLellan, [email protected].
