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Local Singers to celebrate the season

Peninsula Singers to present Christmas Time Is Here
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The Peninsula Singers are gearing up to host their show Christmas Time is Here Dec. 6

SIDNEY — There’s no time to waste if you haven’t bought your tickets to the Peninsula Singers’ festive and eclectic annual Christmas concert taking place at the Mary Winspear on the first weekend in December.

Artistic Director Glenda Korella has made sure that the musical Christmas stocking is chock full of songs, ranging from spirituals to the concert’s title song taken from Charlie Brown’s Christmas.

Adding to the Singers’ choreography will be dancers and storytellers. Korella has added a swing dance number performed by bass Bob Williamson and soprano Dianne Taaffe to the hilarious Sparklejollytwinklejingley, taken from the Broadway musical, Elf. Stepping out from the Singers decked out in elf caps will be a surprise appearance by Elf Ballerina Louise Jovanovic, a member of the alto section and president of the Peninsula Singers.

“It’s quite amazing, the wide range of talent in my Singers,” said Korella. “There’s always someone who has the gift to do something else in addition to singing and who’s willing get out there and add to our show. It makes it feel more like a mini-musical.”

What has also become a standard feature in Peninsula Singers’ concerts is taking the time to honour the spoken word and for this show alto Lee Porteous and bass Bob Fowler will recite from the works of Ogden Nash and from Christmas in Old Victoria, respectively.

This concert’s Spotlight on a Young Artist will feature 14-year-old pianist Keaton Ollech who will play Chopin’s Scherzo No. 2 in B Flat Minor, Opus 31, a difficult piece for even the professional.

Another talented youngster, 15-year-old ballerina Lauren Sousa, will add her magic to the show’s title song, Christmas Time Is Here, a number specially choreographed for the occasion by Gina Sinclair Davis.

All proceeds from the three concerts go to the Saanich Peninsula Hospital Foundation’s Music Therapy Program. For the first time, the Singers will be joined by the program’s therapist and talented flautist, Kristen Davis Slamet.

“I’m very much looking forward to contributing the sound of my flute to some of the songs,” said Slamet.  “[I am so grateful for the Singers’] faithful support of the music therapy program at Saanich Peninsula Hospital.”

Concerts take place Friday, Dec. 6 and Sat. Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $13 for kids under 12 and $25 for adults and are available at the Mary Winspear box office.