For those looking to get into the Yuletide season, the Brantford Symphony Orchestra (BSO) will be hosting its annual holiday concert, Christmastime in the City, at the Sanderson Centre on Saturday, December 14, 2024.
Philip Sarabura, artistic director and conductor for the BSO, said that this year, the local orchestra will be teaming up with Hamilton’s Strata Vocal Ensemble for an evening full of classic holiday music.
“Brantford Symphony Orchestra has been around, in one form or another, for over 50 years. We do around three or four concerts a year, usually at the Sanderson Centre, and for this particular concert, we have two historical organizations coming together,” said Sarabura. “The Brantford Symphony Orchestra, which is a very polished and professional orchestra like you would see in Toronto, will have about 50 or so of our musicians on stage, but then we’re also going to have a group called the Strata Vocal Ensemble, which is a very accomplished choir of about 30 singers, joining us as well.”
Sarabura said that as the conductor for both the BSO and the vocal ensemble, he’s looking forward to having both of the groups together on one stage.
“They’re both very excellent groups and really looking forward to putting the two together. What makes it interesting is that, because this choir is not huge, we actually have the opportunity to put them in front of the orchestra this time,” he said. “ Sometimes during concerts with both a choir and an orchestra, the choir has to stand behind the orchestra and they’re way at the back where you can barely see them let alone hear them, but this time, we’re going to have them in front and so they’re going to be right in your face and it’s going to be just wonderful.”
As far as what to expect of the evening, Sarabura said guests can look forward to hearing all of their favourite holiday classics.
“We’ve been doing Christmas concerts forever, but since I took over, we’ve been kind of following the same sort of approach, and that is to present all the Christmas tunes and carols that everybody knows in familiar arrangements, and usually with a guest artist of some sort just to make life more interesting,” he said. “ I always put a lot of effort into finding good arrangements and so it’s always a great show, and everything’s in there; you’ve heard them all many, many, many, many times before so you’re going to have songs like ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,’ ‘Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire,’ ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful,’ ‘Silent Night,’ and of course, ‘Jingle Bell Rock.’”
With the concert quickly approaching, the conductor said that himself and the BSO are looking forward to the evening.
“I know the orchestra players are all looking forward to it, they love doing the Christmas show because I get arrangements that not only fit them well and that they like playing, but that the audience loves to hear as well,” he said. “It’s always a jolly time that leaves the audience with this huge collective grin on their faces and that’s what makes me happy, seeing a happy audience is something I love getting to see.”
For those interested in attending, the concert will take place on Saturday, December 14, at 7:30 p.m.
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
