Opera Kelowna celebrates the festive season with a Christmas classic.
A Classical Christmas will be performed tonight, Nov. 25 at 7:30 p.m. at the Evangel Church.
The annual programme of seasonal favourites and timeless classics will be given soaring voice by an ensemble of four stellar operatic artists, including returning stars from past Opera Kelowna productions, according to Opera Kelowna.
The soloists will be joined by the voices of Kelowna Children’s Choir and accompanied on piano by Maestro Leslie Dala, associate conductor of the Vancouver Opera.
“Christmas is a time for gathering, gratitude, and revisiting fond memories with loved ones. I can think of no better way to do so than by returning to the beautiful music that resides at the heart of the season,” said artistic director Alexandra Babbel, of Opera Kelowna.
“This year’s celebration promises to be overflowing with beauty; a 50-voice children’s choir will lead a candlelit procession, and Maestro Leslie Dala will perform rare solo selections on piano. From bombastic French arias to the hushed reverence of Silent Night, there will be songs and music to set every heart aglow on this special evening.”
The diverse selection of traditional carols and festive classical compositions – such as Panis Angelicus, In the Bleak Midwinter, and O Holy Night – will be given voice by a core quartet of operatic artists. Rising star Taylor Pardell is a soprano who has performed on stages throughout Canada, the U.S. and Europe.
Close to home, at the Vancouver Opera, she performed the roles of Gretel in Hansel and Gretel and Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro in the organization’s inaugural festival last spring, according to Opera Kelowna. Barbara King is an Opera Kelowna audience favourite, wowing music lovers with her warm agile, mezzo-soprano voice and stunning three-octave range, according to the opera company.
Tickets for A Classical Christmas are $25 plus service fees at kelownatickets.com.