I was looking forward to writing an overdue column about how ridiculous the recently passed omnibus crime bill is, considering that the violent crime rate in Canada has been dropping for many years and that the policy of jailing huge numbers of people has been discredited by judges and legislators in, of all places, Texas.
I also wanted to comment on what a knob the prime minister is for committing more than $50 billion to buy fighter jets and build ships, including some to be used for “defence” purposes, when he constantly preaches the need for fiscal restraint.
And I also wanted to point out how absurd it seemed to me when the judge ruling on the legality of polygamy laws stated that women and children in polygamous relationships are more subject to harm than those who aren’t. He failed to note that women and children who reside with an adult male are also very likely, statistically, to be put in harm’s way more than when there is no male in the picture.
It’s easy to find topics to grump about. But then on Sunday afternoon, Angela and I attended the Blossom Valley Singers concert, Singing (in the) Christmas Tree(s). My enthusiasm for political and judicial topics dropped like a rock.
For years we have attended the Singing Christmas Tree concerts presented in the United Church, enjoying each one. But this presentation, moved by necessity to Prince Charles Theatre, was, without the slightest exaggeration, spectacular. As I left the building I commented to others that I felt like I’d been watching a PBS Christmas special. The quality we witnessed was what one might expect from a large city production.
In past years, we enjoyed the Blossom Valley Singers, who performed after climbing into an amazing tree structure to perform. It was a time-consuming effort to get everyone in place, though, and the restricted space in the church made the logistics of moving performers in and out a challenge. And, of course, the number of singers in the chorus was restricted to what the tree could hold.
Moving to the larger facility meant a completely new stage design, and credit was given to Roxie Schmalz for bringing her vision to reality. The combination of lighted and unlighted trees made for a beautiful and elegant set and the addition of Nadine Riehl’s banners on each side added to the overall effect. Perhaps best of all, the more than 50 voices of the Blossom Valley Singers were supplemented by Key of She (11 singers), the Creston Children’s Choir (about 20 singers) and the Prince Charles Secondary School Choir (16 singers). Adding to the musical dimension were pianist Monte Anderson, the Kokanee Brass, three flautists, guitar by Erwin Buchholz and even some drum work.
Transitions from one configuration of performers to another were smooth, MC Marilin Grahn was masterful and every aspect of the production was a delight to ears and eyes. A huge amount of credit goes to conductors Anita Stushnoff and Brooke Douma, and to Dixie Lee Dyck, who added some keyboard sounds.
The work that the performers and behind the scenes folks put into this production was extraordinary. And I kept thinking about how, musically (and in so many other ways), Creston now has reached a critical mass of talent that helps bring out the best in everyone. When a singing group is comprised of a few strong singers and a majority of good ones, the effect is generally pleasing. But when strong singers are in the majority, the others gain in confidence and the result is a tremendous jump in quality.
The selection of numbers for this seasonal concert was unwaveringly wonderful. And, if I hadn’t already been blown away by the quality of the voices throughout the concert, I might still have been nervous when the first chords of the Hallelujah chorus were played. The Handel work is among my very favourite musical pieces and it is not to be sung by the faint of heart. But as the piece built to its climax and with the audience on its feet, I felt shivers of electricity running up and down my spine and I was completely drawn into a perfect, frozen moment in time. I didn’t want the Hallelujah chorus, or the entire concert, for that matter, to end. Not ever.
Lorne Eckersley is the publisher of the Creston Valley Advance.