Two Southern Alberta musicians revive Christmas concerts

Two Southern Alberta musicians have teamed up to revive old-fashioned Christmas concerts.

Noel Burles and Shelley Goldbeck present A Cowboy

Christmas, a story supported by music in Southern Alberta communities which started November 29 and goes until Dec. 15. Goldbeck conceived Cowboy Christmas Concerts in reaction to the decline of the use of the term “Christmas”.

“My granddaughters don’t know any Christmas carols because they haven’t rehearsed them for their school concerts over the years. They’ve had “winter concerts”, which are great, but they’ve missed learning Christmas carols.

“I love to sing Christmas carols. And so do many people I know! So I teamed up with (appropriately named) Noel to giv people an opportunity to sing their favourite carols.”

Old-fashioned Cowboy Christmas Concerts include 19 Christmas sing-along songs, woven throughout the story. At intermission, performers visit with the audience over home-made cookies, coffee and hot chocolate.

Burles is a multi-instrumentalist/ singer/ songwriter/historian, with a CD, Trails Traveled, nominated for three Western Music Association Awards.

He and Goldbeck are members of the Alberta Cowboy Poetry Association, dedicated to preserving the history of the west through poetry, story and music.

Concert dates and locations include (all shows 7-9 p.m.): Nanton Community Centre, Dec. 8; Munson Community Hall Dec. 13; Seven Persons Community Hall, Dec. 14; Bearberry Community Hall, Dec. 15.