It’s beginning to look a lot like a Celtic Christmas … at least for the folks at the Sooke Community Choir, who’ll be going full Celtic spirit this holiday season.
Led by artistic director Bruce Ruddell, a veteran composer, arranger and director of various musical ensembles over the past 40 years, the choir brings its traditional sound to the Church of the Advent in Colwood for a Dec. 9 concert.
That will be a warmup for a trio of concerts in Sooke, Dec. 16, 17 and 18 at the Sooke Community Hall starting at 7:30 p.m.
The group will perform with a sweetly-unique “Irish lilt” as it runs through 12 separate musical numbers, said spokesperson and choir member Sally Titchkosky.
“It’s very lovely music, we’re really excited to do something really different this year,” she said, adding the pieces are all relatively new for the choir’s 55 or so members.
Among the rich collection of songs will be some familiar favourites, such as Enya’s epic “Only Time,” along with a couple of songs from the groups Celtic Thunder and Celtic Woman.
Musical accompaniment on the evening will be from pianist Kathy Russell,who in 2015 won the B.C. Choral Federation’s Joyce O. Maguire award for outstanding long-term service as a choral accompanist.
On top of all that, the choir is accompanied this year by an East Sooke couple, Patrick and Patricia De Gabrielle, known together as Celtic Reflections. Patricia will provide bodhrán drum, Celtic harp and vocals, while Patrick plays guitar, mandolin, fiddle and penny whistle as well as singing.
With 25 years experience playing together, the duo are a special addition to the choir this year, Titchkosky noted.
Tickets are $15 (children under 16 are free) and are available for purchase at the Shoppers Drug Mart and the Stick in the Mud Coffee House, both in Sooke.
The choir is also always looking for new members to add to the growing number of talented voices.
For more info, call Titchkosky at 250-642-3566 or visit sookecommunitychoir.com.
editor@goldstreamgazette.com