Holiday Train stops in city on Sunday

It’s literally the longestrunning company in our city’s history. The Canadian Pacific Railway helped build Lethbridge before it was even a city.

Now playing a different role, it’s helping the nation’s food banks as they prepare for Christmas. Yes, the Holiday

Train is on its way! Entertainers Alan Doyle (from Great Big Sea) and The

Beautiful Band will be onboard when the brightly-lit train pulls into Lethbridge late Sunday afternoon. Their show, facing the Centre Village Mall parking lot alongside London Drugs, is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Of course, families and everyone who stops by are invited to bring a nonperishable food item — or a cash donation. Since 1999, when the Holiday Train first crossed the nation, CPR officials report they’ve received donations of more than $13 million — and four million pounds of food.

Those donations stay in each community and the railway makes a contribution as well.

The train will stop earlier Sunday in Vulcan, about 2:45 p.m., and it will resume its westward trip the next day. Scheduled stops Monday include Fort Macleod at 9:15

a.m., Pincher Creek at 11:05 a.m., Coleman at 1:05 p.m. and Fernie at 5:15 p.m. Then it will carry on to Nelson and Castlegar, finally arriving in metro Vancouver on Dec. 17. Still more music: The 26th annual Mayor’s Christmas Concert, “For the Love of Music,” is set for 7 tonight in Southminster United Church. It will include selections from the Lethbridge Community Band Society’s Gold and Silver Bands, with

the Southern Accord Chorus and country singer Steve

Newsome as featured guests.

And children — admitted free if they’re 11 and under — will be able to join parents and others in a number of singalong carols. Check for tickets at the door. The seasonal music will continue Sunday, with the public invited to two traditional services of Christmas carols and lessons. Harpist Karin Barg and soloist Janet Youngdahl will be guest performers at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 20 Rocky Mountain Blvd. W. — just off University Drive — for a 2:30 p.m. service in German. There’s no charge for admission, refreshments will follow, and people are invited to donate to the Interfaith Food Bank.

Then at 4 p.m., the timehonoured Anglican service of Nine Lessons and Carols will be presented at St. Augustine’s Church, 4 Avenue at 11 Street South. Based on the musical tradition of King’s College, Cambridge, the service will include congregational singing as well as selections by instrumentalists and choir. The church’s handbell choir and its senior choir — directed by Joanne Collier

— will welcome instrumentalists Monica Baczuk, Wayne Edwards and Sarah Viejou

along with the music of the

Aeris Brass. On Monday, director Frank Gnandt will lead

the Caritas Chamber Choir in a seasonal concert at Southminster Church at 7:30 p.m., with tickets at the door.

The community ensemble, with accompanist Sheryl

Dyck, was started by graduates of Lethbridge Collegiate Institute who sang in choirs there when Gnandt was the teacher and director. Far more traditional, mince pies, mulled wine and gingerbread will on the menu Tuesday, when the Lethbridge Shakespeare Performance Society presents “Shakespeare Meets Dickens,” 7 p.m. at Casa. It’s billed as a Tudor and Victorian celebration — with all attending invited to dress accordingly.

As well as scenes from “A Christmas Carol,” guests will enjoy songs from Shakespeare’s many works. Check Casa for tickets. Sorry — If you don’t have tickets for “The Nutcracker” at University Theatre, you’ll have to wait for another year.

Lethbridge Symphony officials report all four performances — Dec. 15, 16 and 17 — are sold out. But here’s another treat: next Saturday, the Lethbridge Community Band will present its annual “Tuba Christmas.” Featuring many of your seasonal favourites, this jovial celebration is set for 1 p.m. at Casa — and it’s free! Tanya Conrad will conduct the local musicians, who are also expected to add seasonal decorations to their size-large horns. For those with energy to burn, the city is offering free skating on Sunday at four local rinks, starting at 10:15 a.m. at the Civic Centre, 2:30 p.m. at the Labour Club Arena and at 5:30 p.m. at both Nicholas Sheran Arena and the ATB Centre.

All who enjoy our unseasonably warm weather are invited to take part in the Christmas Bird Count on Dec. 17. Honouring a 118-year

tradition, the Lethbridge count often identifies 40 or more species, including magpies, pigeons, mallards, chickadees, starlings, waxwings, house finches and house sparrows — and, of course, Canada geese. Contact Ken Orich at korich@telusplanet.net to get involved. Indoors, free noon-hour concerts continue in the city hall foyer. School choirs and other groups are sharing their seasonal music, resuming Tuesday with students from Nicholas Sheran School.

Wednesday at 11:30 a.m., it’s the Gilbert Paterson Choir, followed Thursday at 11:10 a.m. by singers from the Lethbridge

Montessori School. Rounding

out the week, the Bellows to Brass Music Group will perform

Friday at noon.

Then, before school closes for the holidays, the Galbraith School Choir and Handbells

will perform Dec. 18 at noon, then the Nord-Bridge Con

Moto Singers at noon on Dec. 19 and the Galbraith ensembles again on Dec. 20 at 12:10 p.m.

Toy donations are being accepted for the Lethbridge Family Services’ “Angel Tree” program and food donations for the Lethbridge Food Bank. Music and a “Festival of Nativities” will be offered Thursday to Dec. 17 at the LDS Chapel on Scenic Drive South, next to the Enmax Centre. Visitors are invited between 1 and 9 p.m. on the first two days, between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Dec. 16 and from 2 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 17.

No-charge concerts are scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m., then 2 and 7 p.m. on Dec. 16. And our reminders: the Southern Alberta Ethnic Association will celebrate “Christmas Around the World” on Friday, starting at 4 p.m., and then hold a no-charge community Christmas dinner at 5:30 p.m. the next day. Check the Multicultural Centre at 403320-1577 for tickets or more details. And closer to Christmas, New West Theatre will open its seasonal show, “Starlight: The Best of New West” on Dec. 19 — running until Jan. 6 — and its children’s production, “Hansel and Gretel” on Boxing Day. Tickets are available online at www.newwesttheatre.com/tickets.