Christmas is a comin’ and the members of the North Island Choral Society will start the season off with “U.K. Yuletide”, where 300 years of choral music tradition will be heard through the writings of composers associated with the United Kingdom.
From the florid richness of Baroque through to 20th-century Romanticism, one will hear traditional carols, dream-like fantasies, and iconic choruses.
NICS, under the direction of Paul Colthorpe, is a community of approximately 60 singers who love to perform classical choral music. This year’s concert will be a bit of a “taster” concert, with the choir performing sections of a variety of well-known works, including Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols, and Gustav Holst’s Christmas Day. And of course, it wouldn’t be Christmas without a good portion of G.F. Handel’s Messiah.
Bolstered by the NICS string orchestra, and showcasing the talents of well-known soloists Jennifer Rasor, Lisa Stephens-Deith and Christopher Bellamy, these concerts are a perfect way to usher in the magic of the season.
U.K. Yuletide will be performed at St. George’s United Church at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2, and at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3. Tickets ($25/$10) are available at Blue Heron Books and Benjamin Moore House of Colour.
