As everyone’s favourite human/Elf Buddy says, “the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!”
And music itself is at its best when heard live and played in front of your eyes. So, in my due diligence of spreading Christmas Cheer, here are some Christmas concerts happening in Thunder Bay that will have you singing loud for all to hear!
The Thunder Bay Community Band Christmas Concert
“I think Christmas music helps people to connect with their childhood, and I think for most people, that’s when Christmas is the most special,” says Jane Saunders, Music Director and Conductor for the Thunder Bay Community Band (TBCB). “People have experiences with those songs, hymns, and carols. They want to relive those things, and in some cases, want to share it with their own kids when they start to have their own children.” Sharing Christmas music together also means sharing Christmas memories with loved ones. Which is why the TBCB is thrilled to bring their annual Christmas Concert to Thunder Bay Audiences.
“We’ll have our mix of fairly traditional stuff, but also some modern stuff and fun stuff that is more family oriented,” says Saunders. “If a Christmas song or Carol is traditional, I tend to do the more traditional beautiful band sounding arrangements where you can hear
all the flutes and everything. If it’s more modern or secular, like Jingle Bells or Frosty, we do a rocky or jazzy thing. So our audience gets to hear a bit of everything. And sing. There’s always a sing-along.”
This year’s lineup is one for all ages featuring classic carols, hymns, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and some surprise songs from the 50s and Carols with an added jazz flare. As well, the band will be providing Christmas baking for audiences to enjoy during the concert,
a taste for all of the senses one could say. Yet, while Christmas music and baking are huge markers of the season, giving back to the community and charity are the most integral parts of celebrating the season, something the TBCB knows all too well.
“We’re also raising money and food for the food bank at the concert,” says Saunders. “People can bring food donations, and then we also collect monetary donations. Then we take all the food and money over there to the RFDA the day after the concert.”
Speaking of giving, Saunders also has the perfect Christmas gift for the young music fans in your life. On Saturday January 25th at the West Thunder Community Centre, the TBCB will be partnering with Children’s Centre Thunder Bay to perform a children’s music concert! Featuring Marvel Superheroes, Spongebob, and “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” the band will also be performing alongside a puppet show created by Don McMahon and children’s music writer Ben Brown in which all proceeds will be donated to the Children’s Centre Foundation.
The best part however, is what Saunders calls, “instrument petting,” a chance for children to see instruments up close and in a way, the TBCB pass on the love of live music to the next generation.
“I find that kids, especially little ones, but also kids when they get older and they’re thinking about playing an instrument, or they’re learning themselves in school, can really get quite excited by watching people play instruments, and making all the sounds that instruments make,” says Saunders. “Young children may not understand the full story, musical concept, or religious message of a song, like, O Come All Ye Faithful, but then we with songs like Jingle Bells, or Santa Claus is Coming to Town, that’s their entry into understanding the culture of Christmas and the excitement of it through the music.”
The Thunder Bay Community Band Christmas Concert will be performed on Wed., Dec. 17th at Hilldale Lutheran Church at 7:30PM. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for seniors and students and can be purchased from band members or at World Music Academy on Simpson St.
Prelude to Christmas - Fort William Male Choir
For 98 Years, the Fort William Male Choir has delighted audiences in both Thunder Bay and the world. From the Queen to the Pope, and to our own backyard, their harmonies and voices capture the magic of live music. This year, they are back with their Prelude to Christmas Show themed all around the magic of Christmas Lights.
“Normally there’s a music committee, with our conductor and several of the other members of the choir, and they select the music for it, and they do it a year in advance,” says Pat Gallagher, a member of the Fort William Male Choir. “We usually try to create some sort of a theme around what the music is. This year’s theme is All is Bright - Musical Lights of the Season. All of the music was selected to represent different moods and different lights of Christmas.”
All is Bright will feature roughly 20 numbers of choral magic and even feature some guest performers alongside the choir, which this year will feature a cellist.
“I think that four part male harmony in singing some of your favorite Christmas carols is just so rich sounding, and is a real nice, warm feeling,” says Gallagher.
Though for Gallagher, hearing Christmas carols does not only just sound beautiful, but feels beautiful in a soulful way.
“For me, personally, I find music brings back my memories of when I was younger and my family Christmases together. Music ties that all together for me and brings it right in. That’s one of the things that we found in talking to people, is that they reminisce about Christmases, families, all those sorts of things. It’s a great event to do those sorts of things, and it really puts you in the Christmas spirit, if you will,” says Gallagher.
In capturing the joys and stories Christmas carols and lights can bring us, All is Bright will also light up stages throughout the city.
“What we do [after the show], is we take our concert to some of the long term care homes in Thunder Bay and we sing four or five songs from our concert for them. We actually bring the concert to some people who can’t get out to come to see our concert. So that’s something that we’ve always done as well, giving back a little and spreading more Christmas cheer,” says Gallagher.
All Is Bright - Musical Lights of the Season from the Fort William Male Choir will perform at Hilldale Lutheran Church Friday, Dececember 12th at 7:30 PM and Saturday December 13th at 1:30 PM.
Tickets are $30 and can be purchased by calling 1-866-987-2420, or email your request to: tickets@fwmc.ca, with delivery straight to your door.
