The Sunshine Coast Hospice Society continues to offer sensitive support for people experiencing loss in the midst of the holidays.
This Friday, Dec. 16, an annual Hospice Society ritual brings together grieving community members to honour the memory of a loved one. The Lights of Life Winter Tea takes place at 1 p.m. at Eric Cardinall Hall in Gibsons.
Attendees are welcome to bring a photograph or object for the remembrance table.
The event follows the Lights of Life exhibitions in Gibsons, Sechelt and Madeira Park that featured artwork fashioned by participants in the Hospice Society’s “Exploring Grief Through Creativity” workshops.
A musical feast
Numerous performances last weekend demonstrated the dexterity of the Sunshine Coast’s artistic community.
Waldorf Ballet kicked things off with The Nutcracker, choreographed by Johanna Waldorf. Annah Kotai did double duty as Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy; Gracelyn Mailey and Brooklyn Turner shared the part of the Nutcracker itself. Jennifer Helland played the enigmatic Drosselmeyer with dramatic flourishes; Sophie Cimbala embodied the Snow Queen in all performances. Bo-Peep (Morgan Richmond) earned an effusive audience reaction for her care of wayward sheep in woolly onesies.
Two performances of The Most Wonderful Time by the Coastal Lights chorale, under the direction of Kenneth Johnson, also included solo and duet numbers. Owing to a chorister’s unexpected absence, Johnson crooned his composition A Christmas Dream with impromptu harmonies by Nancy Pincombe.
Solstice Songs featured The Wild Voices and The Sunshine Coast Children’s Choir in a high-spirited performance at Camp Sunrise in Langdale. Two versions — one familiar and fantastic, one refreshingly realistic — of The Twelve Days of Christmas elicited bemusement from spectators.
The Coast Symphony Orchestra (directed by José Cerón-Ortega) and the Suncoast Concert Band (directed by Tak Maeda) delighted a near-capacity crowd at the Chatelech Secondary School auditorium. “This coming piece is our last piece,” announced Maeda when introducing Leroy Anderson’s A Christmas Festival. “Say awww...” The audience followed his instructions enthusiastically — and sincerely.
On Sunday, a tender performance by harpist Janelle Nadeau at the Pender Harbour School of Music foreshadowed an upcoming concert by the Pender Harbour Choir. The group will sing its Christmas program — A Special Time of Year — on Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. Tickets ($20) are available from choir members, the EarthFair store in Madeira Park, and at the door.
The Sunshine Coast Youth Dance Association Nutcracker is also now under way, with performances running through Monday, Dec. 19. See sunshinecoastnutcracker.com for details and tickets.
Rising like a phoenix
The Suncoast Phoenix Community Choir is returning to an admission by donation model for its upcoming concert so everyone in the community can attend.
“We feel we are a community choir, so we want to make music accessible for everyone,” said director Sara Douglas.
Upcoming Christmas concerts by Phoenix are on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m (St. Hilda’s Anglican Church in Sechelt), and Sunday, Dec.18 at 2 p.m. (Calvary Baptist Church in Gibsons).
A less formal “Singout” is planned for the Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden at 4 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 19, as a fundraiser for the garden and the choir.
Prepare ye the way
Part One of Handel’s Messiah is returning to the Sunshine Coast after a three-year hiatus.
This holiday season, the Coast Messiah Choir will present its first concert since COVID lockdowns cancelled its spring 2020 show. The pandemic was a devastating setback for the community choir, putting its increasingly popular Sing-Along Messiah productions on hold.
Its return this year is accompanied by the Coast Messiah Orchestra and several soloists from Vancouver: Emily M Cheung (soprano), Maria Golas (alto), Jonathan Michel (tenor), Kamyar Pazandeh (bass), and Candice Newberry (trumpet).
The Coast Messiah Orchestra, made up of local players from all over the Coast, will also perform Arcangelo Corelli’s beloved Christmas Concerto with soloists Tegan Ceschi-Smith, Michelle Bruce (violins), and Sarah Poon (cello). They will be joined by David Poon on harpsichord and organ.
Tickets for Handel’s Messiah can be purchased at coastmessiahchoir.ca and Strait Music. Ticket holders for the cancelled In Equal Music concert from 2020 should contact the choir directly ([email protected]) to exchange tickets for the current production.
Founded in 2013 by Joy McLeod, the Coast Messiah Choir performs large-scale choral masterworks with orchestra. The choir will be working on Vivaldi’s Gloria starting in January 2023 and is always accepting new members.
