This Sunday, December 3rd at 3:00pm at St. Andrews River Heights United Church, The Winnipeg Singers in collaboration with the Pembina Trails Voices Chorale will present their concert called “Christmas is for Children: A Child’s Christmas in Wales.”
Centered around the nostalgic, charming and multi-sensory poem by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas of the same name, this concert will provide a truly memorable afternoon of Christmas carols while at the same time summoning up the sights, smells and feelings of the holiday season.
The poem “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” will be read by the warm, deep, resonant bass voice of singer and award winning choral conductor Derek Morphy with the voices of the Winnipeg Singers and the Pembina Trails Voices Chorale providing some holiday carols.
Both choirs will be performing some wonderful holiday selections, but the real centre piece of the program is the Canadian composer Jon Washburn’s musical setting of the poem “A Child’s Christmas in Wales.”
The poem has no plot and is essentially written as a collage of memories as explained through the eyes of a child. As President of the Winnipeg Singers Bruce Waldie explains, “It’s kind of like a late nineteen forties version of the film “A Christmas Story”…maybe not entirely accurate or true but very delightful. People will see themselves in the stories...it’s a pastiche of little stories….there’s no plot, it’s just memories.”
When it comes to the music accompanying the poem Waldie states, “ Jon Washburn of the Vancouver Chamber Choir took that work [“A Child’s Christmas in Wales”] and wrote the choral arrangements that fit seamlessly into it. It has become one composition that goes from Derek Morphy telling a story, to us singing a song. It flows beautifully! The music is simple and clear and the text is simple and clear. You’ll leave feeling very good at the end of his concert!.”
The Winnipeg Singers will be joined on stage by the fantastic Pembina Trails Voices Chorale. Both groups will be performing holiday selections that are in addition to the presentation of “A Child’s Christmas in Wales. “We knew that we wanted to have another group join us, and the Pembina Trails Choir was a perfect fit for this concert,” states Waldie
The Winnipeg Singers concert with the Pembina Trails Voices Chorale this Sunday, December 4th at 3:00pm at St. Andrews River Heights United Church is sure be something really special. Holiday carols combined with the warm nostalgic prose of Dylan Thomas…a perfect way to stay warm both physically and spiritually in this holiday season.
For more details on Christmas is for Children: A child’s Christmas in Wales visit the Winnipeg Singers website.
