Vancouver Cantata Singers: Christmas Reprise XIV

 

The award winning Vancouver Cantata Singers awed a sold out audience on Saturday, December 17th during the first of their two Christmas concerts.  The 35 member a cappella choral ensemble performed an impressive collection of Christmas carols written or arranged between the 1500s and 2007, and sung in Latin, French, Spanish, English and German.

The first piece, “O Come, O come, Immanuel”, featured the men’s choir processing slowing up the aisles of the church, while “Hymn to the Virgin” included a call and response in two languages.

The wealth of dynamic arrangements, such as an unexpected tempo change in “God rest you merry, gentlemen”, and the highlighting of several beautiful solo voices, kept the audience rapt throughout.

At times, members of the group moved to different parts of the church, taking advantage of the excellent acoustics of Holy Rosary Cathedral and showcasing the richness of their sound.

The thunderous applause and standing ovation at the end of the programme were well deserved;  “Christmas Reprise XIV” evoked the true Spirit of the Season and left the audience filled with joy.

The Vancouver Cantata Singers will be performing “Christmas Reprise XIV” a second time on Wednesday, December 21st at 7:30 pm at Anvil Centre Theatre in New Westminster.  Check their website for more details:  http://www.vancouvercantatasingers.com/