Victoria Philharmonic Choir - Family Christmas Carol Sing-Along Concert

Music Director: Peter Butterfield

Guest organist: Nicholas Fairbank

Tuesday, December 22, 7:00 pm, Church of St. John the Divine

1611 Quadra St., Victoria, BC

It���s the essence of a Christmas celebration: entire families from babies to grandparents together in a lovely old church, singing beloved and familiar carols along with an excellent choir and majestic organ accompaniment.

For VPC music director Peter Butterfield, it���s all about creating a joyous musical experience that���s family-friendly and accessible. ���If little children want to come up front and help me conduct, I make that happen,��� he says.

The audience gets to sing along on traditional pieces such as O Come All Ye Faithful, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, and See Amid the Winter���s Snow, as the 40-member Victoria Philharmonic Choir adds gorgeous harmonies and soaring descants.

The choir, on its own, will perform some more complex and perhaps less familiar short works, including: ���Of the Father���s Love Begotten���, with text by a 5^th century Roman poet and a vocal line that recalls plainchant; the Basque hymn, ���The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came���, Morten Lauridsen���s mystical setting of ���O Magnum Mysterium���, a four-part unaccompanied setting of Blake���s ���The Lamb��� by John Tavener (the contemporary composer, not the 16^th century one!) and ���The Shepherds��� Farewell���, from L���Enfance du Christ, Op. 25, by Berlioz.

Guest performer is Nicholas Fairbank, prize-winning organist and composer.

Peter Butterfield began organizing family sing-along carol concerts with his choir, VancouverVoices, at St. Helen���s Church in Point Grey about 5 years ago, and they���ve quickly become a hugely popular ��� even sold-out ��� event.

While there should be some tickets available on concert night at the door of St. John the Divine, it���s advisable to purchase advance tickets from Ivy���s Books, Cadboro Bay Books or Long & McQuade Music in Victoria, or Tanner���s Books in Sidney.

Tickets are $20 adult, $15 student/senior. Children 12 & under will be admitted free with an adult, but MUST have their own tickets.

More information: www.vpchoir.ca

Hi-res photos of VP Choir & Peter Butterfield may be downloaded from the website media page, or e-mailed to you.

Media contact: Sherry Lepage, volunteer publicist 250.598.6433 or sherrylepage@shaw.ca

And in other news�Ķ We can now confirm that the Victoria Symphony Orchestra will be playing the Victoria Philharmonic Choir���s performance of Bach���s monumental sacred work, the St. Matthew Passion, on March 27, 2010 at St. Andrew���s Cathedral. Soloists will be announced in the New Year.