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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, November 25, 2011 · 34 Artscene JAMES HOGGETT / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER MERRY CHRISTMAS: The Oakville Children's Choir's Cherub Choir (6-10-year-olds) visited Del Manor seniors' residence and performed a Christmas concert for the residents this week. At left is the group singing and on the right is soloist Avery Mason singing and playing Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Children's choir makes a song-filled Christmas for all By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF There's no question that children enjoy Christmas. And the young singers of the Oakville Children's Choir (OCC) hope to get others into the holiday spirit. To do so, the choir has no shortage of performances lined up, appearing both alone and with other local musical groups. "People should definitely come out to our shows. It's a fabulous way to start off the holiday season ­ what better way than through enjoying the singing of choirs and getting to participate and getting to sing with the whole family?" said OCC music director Sarah Morrison. "It's a great way to celebrate and start off the holiday season." The OCC is starting its public performances on Sunday, Nov. 27, with its intermediate choristers appearing as guest artists at an Intrada Brass of Oakville concert. The choir will then hold its own concerts: Joy to the World d on Dec. 3 and the Community Carol Concert on Dec. 10. The next day, Dec. 11, the senior members of the choir will perform at a pair of Oakville Symphony Orchestra Family Christmas concerts. "We like to partner with as many community organizations as possible and other arts organizations in Oakville and beyond," Morrison said. "It's really good for the young choristers to work with Intrada Brass and with the Oakville Symphony. To be able to sing with the whole symphony is such a thrill." Aside from the public shows, the OCC will be seen throughout the community at a number of places this holiday season. The Kids Sing Christmas concert on Nov. 27 consists of carols familiar to people and the audience will be invited to sing along. The choir and band will perform together and separately for pieces. The brass and percussion ensemble will play such music as Carol of the Bells, White Christmas, The Little Drummer Boy and pieces from The Nutcracker r ballet. The choristers will sing such music as Gloria in Excelsis Deo, Ding Dong! Merrily on High and Deck the Hall and Decorate, as well as the German carol Kling, Glöckchen. The concert will take place at St. John's United Church, 262 Randall St., at 2:30 p.m. Tickets cost $20 for adults and $15 for seniors and students. Tickets are available at L'Atelier Grigorian in downtown Oakville and at the door. For more information, visit www.intradabrass. org. The OCC is hosting two concerts itself this holiday season, which are also season-openers for the choir. The Joy to the World d concert on Dec. 3 will explore music from around the globe, which is part of the OCC's Exploring a World of Music theme. The young performers will sing Christmas music from other countries. The choristers will be joined by guest artists Catherine Gardner (soprano) and Mark Gardner (baritone) on stage. The concert takes place at St. John's United Church, 262 Randall St., at 7 p.m. Advance tickets cost $25 for adults or $15 for seniors and children. Tickets at the door cost $30 for adults or $20 for children and seniors. The Community Carol Concert on Dec. 10 is just as the name suggests, an afternoon where people are invited to sing carols along with the choir. "That's a favourite annual event for the choir and the audience alike because the audience gets to participate in singing along to the carols," Morrison said. The concert takes place at St. Cuthbert's Anglican Church, 1541 Oakhill Dr., at 3 p.m. Advance tickets cost $15 for adults or $10 each for seniors and children. Tickets at the door cost $20 for adults or $15 each for seniors and children. For tickets to either of the OCC concerts, visit www.oakvillechildrenschoir.org. The senior choir of the OCC will join the Oakville Symphony Orchestra for a pair of concerts titled Family Christmas on Sunday, Dec. 11. The one-hour concerts will consist of the choral and orchestral performances as well as a carol sing-a-long for the audience. The Family Christmas concerts take place at The Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, 130 Navy St., at 1:30 and 4 p.m. Tickets cost $26 for adults, $17 for seniors or $13 for students. For tickets, visit www.oakvillecentre.ca. Dominik Kurek can be reached at dkurek@oakvillebeaver.com or on Twitter at @DominikKurek. Have an improvised laugh The jam will feature two shows, one starting at 7 p.m., followed by a second at 8:30 p.m. The show will feature some funny people, including Lisa Merchant's adult class performing in the first show and Gary Pearson and friends up on the stage for the second show. Tickets cost $5 per show. The café is located at 137 Kerr St. Local improv group Bad Dog Theatre Company is putting on a comedy jam on Sunday, Nov. 27 at The Moonshine Café.