Amidst the frenetic activity of the festive season, pause and enjoy a concert or live performance in Vancouver. Here are a few of our top choices.
Christmas With the Bach Choir
This annual family-friendly concert showcases the eight choirs of the Vancouver Bach Family of Choirs, including the adorable 4- and 5-year-olds of the Piccolinis, and the audience is given several opportunities to sing along. The Bach Choir’s 400-plus singers perform the final three songs together—a moving finale to the afternoon’s festivities.
December 3 at the Orpheum Theatre.
Goh Ballet’s The Nutcracker
Photo by David Cooper.
Accompanied by the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, Goh Ballet brings to life the classic holiday tale about Clara, her Nutcracker Prince, the Mouse King, and the Sugar Plum Fairy. The Vancouver dance company’s 13th annual production of the beloved ballet features an astounding 312 dancers, who hail from countries as far-flung as China, Japan, Australia, and Brazil, and range in age from 6 to 73.
December 14 to 17 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
Music for the Winter Solstice
Photo by Jan Gates.
Soft candlelight provides the perfect backdrop for the soul-stirring songs at this popular annual concert. Vancouver musicians Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa, Robyn Jacob, Asitha Tennekoon, and Jonathan Lo add a touch of magic to seasonal selections such as Caroline Shaw’s “Winter Carol” and the Wyrd Sisters’ “Solstice Carole.”
December 13 and 14 at Heritage Hall.
Carol of the Bells: A Ukrainian Christmas in Music
Pianist Anna Sagalova, guitarist Denys Panchenko, and the Kolo Ukrainian Choir perform seasonal music, including traditional Ukrainian Christmas carols. Ukrainian handicrafts are available for purchase, and attendees are encouraged to bring new, unwrapped children’s gifts to leave under the Christmas tree. This event is raising funds for the Ukrainian Canadian Advocacy Group’s Rehabilitation Program for the Children of Fallen Heroes, which provides intensive rehabilitation therapy to grieving children on two-week retreats in the Carpathian Mountains.
December 5 at The Annex.
Christmas With Chor Leoni
Photo by Phil Jack.
Set against a backdrop of candles and twinkling lights in St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church, with its exemplary acoustics, the 65 voices of Chor Leoni men’s choir join together in yuletide carols such as “I Saw Three Ships” and “Silent Night.” One of this year’s highlights is sure to be the world premiere of A Midnight Clear, a piece about hope by Vancouver composer and violinist Cameron Wilson.
December 15, 16, and 18 at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church.
Mom’s the Word: Talkin’ Turkey
For almost three decades, the five Vancouver mothers of the Mom’s the Word Collective have been sharing their true tales of motherhood: the good, the bad, the ugly—and the hilarious. They explore the highs and lows of the yuletide season through song, dance, anecdotes, and skits in this heartfelt holiday show.
December 5 to 31 at the Granville Island Stage.
Cirque du Soleil: Kooza
Photo by Matt Beard and Bernard Letendre. Costume by Marie Chantale Vaillancourt.
It wouldn’t feel like the festive season in Vancouver without Cirque du Soleil’s big top popping up on False Creek. Kooza returns this year, bringing its gravity-defying acrobatics, lavish costumes, and over-the-top clowning, all accompanied by live music.
To December 31 at Concord Pacific Place.
Reflections on Crooked Walking
Sanders Whiting as Reverend Blinkers, Evelyn Chew as Gabby, and Jennifer Lynch as Feathertoe. Photo by Emily Cooper.
First staged in 1982, this fantasy musical was written by Canadian icon Ann Mortifee. It tells the story of a town afflicted with a mysterious sleeping sickness, except for four residents, who search for a cure. Vancouverites of a certain age have many fond memories of Mortifee’s whimsical creation, having seen it as children at Christmastime, and the years haven’t diminished the show’s family-friendly charm.
December 2 to 24 at the Firehall Arts Centre.
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