Peninsula Singers present Christmas Joy!
What is ‘Joy’? Why, it’s a festival of the season’s best songs delivered by Vancouver Island’s favourite show chorus and special guests.
It’s that season again, when the Peninsula Singers, led by dynamic artistic director Lena Palermo, take to the Mary Winspear stage for their annual three-show Christmas extravaganza.
“Christmas Joy!” is all about the bounty of Christmas songs – traditional and new – delivered by this dynamic chorus of 55 singers. From medleys of old favourites to recent hits, the Singers will deliver a magical evening of seasonal cheer just for you. Lena has added choreography to many of the songs and a couple of cheeky send-ups of Christmas tunes such as a salute titled Merry
Christmas, Mozart, and PDQ Bach (aka Peter Schickle)’s Throw the Yule Log On, Uncle John. The customary Spotlight on a Young Artist will feature two recent graduates of the Canadian College of Performing Arts – tenor Derry Doshust and soprano Julie Mombourquette. Derry has starred in several Shakespeare productions: Our
Town, and is currently in the Victoria Gilbert and Sullivan production of Pirates of Penzance.
Julie has played Mary Poppins, Rebecca in Our Town, and Sister Helena in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. They’ll sing solos, duets and alongside the Peninsula Singers as well.
Santa will make a guest appearance, and the whole show will be hosted by the suave Mr. Master of Ceremonies, Jim Kingham. Janet Yonge will accompany on the piano, Terry Erskine on percussion and Jennifer Bennett on double bass.
“This is my first Christmas concert with the Singers and I’m proud of what we’ve achieved,” says Palermo. “It’s been hard work, but it’s also been a joy to see everything come together.”
The Peninsula Singers are an auditioned chorus, drawn from the Greater Victoria area. Proceeds from the show will go to the Saanich Peninsula Hospital Foundation’s Music Therapy Program, where the choir’s donations have amounted to nearly $35,000 over the past few years. Above: Peninsula Singers Artistic Director Lena Palermo with Santa in a Winter Wonderland.