Brash and brassy, the Vancouver Men’s Chorus fired up its 29th concert season with Making Spirits Bright—the Flame edition! Vancouver’s popular Making Spirits Bright performances saluted the season’s currents, the city’s subtler undertones, and the world’s winter Olympic spirit with a program of hearthside and ringside songs that warm the soul and brighten the spirit with laughter. The rich, euphonious singing of the men’s voices was underscored by the fanfares of a brass ensemble and the cool grooves of a rhythm section made up of the Lower Mainland’s finest instrumentalists.
A hot Vancouver tradition continued! The acoustic perfection of the West End’s historic St Paul’s Anglican Church came alive once again with a new selection of music that ranges from the traditional to the Broadway stage. The audience enjoyed adaptations of timeless texts – from days of old to a newer age – as the Chorus presented contemporary settings of the Christmas story in excerpts from Pinkham’s Christmas Cantata alongside today’s Do you hear what I hear? in Rankin Family style; as the fireglow images of Ellington’s jazz standard I’m beginning to see the light rubbed shoulders with tinselly Holiday stage classics by Jerry Herman and Meredith Wilson.
Family and friends chose from any of four evening performances on Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday (December 10, 12, 13, 14), or the Sunday matinee (December 13) – a valuable and much appreciated gift for all ages at times that fit everyone’s December date books!
The Vancouver Men’s Chorus proudly continues its tradition of community outreach. Following their June 2008 performances in Victoria, Nanaimo, and Kelowna, and May 2009 performances in Brighton and London, England, they were pleased to return to Nanaimo on Sunday evening, December 6, for a preview performance of Making Spirits Bright—the Flame edition!
Willi Zwozdesky
Willi Zwozdesky has been conductor of the Vancouver Men's Chorus since 1982. In 2007, Willi Zwozdesky recieved the Lifetime Achievement Award for his 25 years of service conducting The Vancouver Men's Chorus.