Tea & Symphony

Love, life and laughter are the themes for the Sooke Philharmonic Players and Chorus at this year’s Tea and Symphony concert. Treat all of your senses with an afternoon of music, flowers and tea on Sunday, Feb. 12 at the Sooke Community Hall, 2037 Shields Rd. in Sooke at 2:30 p.m.

The Sooke District Lioness Club will prepare goodies for an English Tea and feature tea by Christine Hopkins of Honestly Tea. Feast your eyes on the gorgeous table centrepieces, courtesy of Sooke’s Sea of Bloom. Music includes ever-popular works by Johann Strauss Jr, Elgar, Mozart and Donizetti.

Emma Reader-Lee, violin, one of the Concerto Competition finalists last April, will perform Haydn, and the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) clarinetist, Don Mayer, will play Donizetti. SPO violinist Anne McDougall, cellist Trevor MacHattie, oboist Jacqui Kereluk, and bassoonist George Kereluk will also play Haydn.

The Sooke Philharmonic Chorus, directed by Nicholas Fairbank, will regale the audience with several popular tunes, and there will be Celtic music arranged by flautist Patricia Hollister. Claire Mackelson will play the euphonium, a mellow instrument that should be seen and heard more often.

Another highlight of the afternoon will be Nancy Washeim, Sooke’s première soprano, with excerpts from Mozart’s joyous Exultate

Jubilate. As ever, this will be an afternoon not to be missed. This popular event usually sells out. Visit sookephil. ca for information on ticket outlets.