Upcoming “Spirit of Advent” concert at Trinity United

Julie Druker | Nov 25, 2015

For over 30 years now, singers from the choirs of Trinity United Church in Verona, St. Paul's United in Harrowsmith and St. Paul's Anglican Church in Sydenham, along with singers from the surrounding local communities have been joining together in song to celebrate the Christmas season.

The free concert, which will take place at Trinity United Church in Verona on Friday, December 4 at 7:30pm, was originally conceived as a gift to the community and it continues to be one of the musical highlights of Christmas in the local communities. This year's concert will no doubt be another enjoyable, moving and festive celebration and it is Trinity United's way of kicking off the holiday season.

The 28-member choir has been practicing steadily for the past seven weeks under the direction of Annabelle Twiddy and will be performing a diverse and eclectic repertoire.

Not wanting to give too much away, the choir will sing “For Unto Us a Child is Born”, a selection from Handel's Messiah, as well as a fabulous rendition of “Silent Night”. The audience will have a chance to join in song with these talented singers in the carol known as “Star of the East” and will be invited to sing a number of other holiday favorites with the choir.

A group of young singers will also take to the stage for a virtual school bus ride to Bethlehem and will sing “How Far is it to Bethlehem.”

As always, the one-hour concert will be followed by a further gift of light refreshments when performers and the audience will have a chance to nibble on some treats and visit together. Annabelle Twiddy will be sharing her baton with guest conductors John McDougall, and Brad Barbeau, who will also be playing the organ. Marg Smith will also be accompanying the singers. The concert, always a seasonal highlight, is a great way for music lovers to kick off the 2015 holiday season. The performers hope to see a full sanctuary at Trinity United on Friday and they look forward to having the community join them in song and celebration.