Experience the magic of Baroque music with the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus and soloists Carson Moore, Michael Kelley, and Nathan McDonald at a Christmas concert on Dec. 2.
The program begins with anthems for Advent and Christmas by English Baroque composers Purcell and Gibbons. Following these pieces, the motet Hodie Christus natus est by Dutch composer Jan Sweelinck is performed.
Orchestra, chorus and soloists then join forces in two oratorios by Handel, written in thanks for peace treaties that ended the War of the Spanish Succession in 1713 and the War of the Austrian Succession in 1743.
Both works provide opportunities for lively and joyful music, including trumpets and timpani, with variety provided by the solos and small ensemble movements sung by Moore, Kelley and McDonald.
Moore studied under Benjamin Butterfield and holds a bachelor of music degree from the University of Victoria. He was the alto soloist in Christ Church Cathedral’s Messiah from Scratch and sang in the Victoria Philharmonic Choir’s Messiah Parts 2 and 3.
Kelley, a Sooke resident, is well known for participating in the Sooke Community Choir and Sooke musical theatre, where he played Capt. Walker in The Who’s Tommy.
McDonald is a voice faculty member at the Victoria Conservatory of Music and the Canadian College of Performing Arts and serves as music director at the Lutheran Church of the Cross in Victoria.
There is only one performance of the Baroque Choral Feast, which will be performed at Sooke Community Hall, 2037 Shields Rd., on Dec. 2 at 2:30 p.m.
For tickets and information, please visit sookephil.ca. Tickets are also available at Pharmasave in Sooke.
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