In "Dayliheraldtribune"

Annual community event runs Monday and Tuesday evening
Festival of Carols returns



By Jocelyn Turner, Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune

Thursday, December 3, 2015 2:00:14 MST PM



The Voices in the Wilderness choir sings at the 32nd annual Festival of Carols at St. Joseph Catholic Church. This year’s event runs Monday and Tuesday evening at 7:30 p.m. DHT file photo









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For the 33rd year in a row, the Festival of Carols returns to St. Joseph Catholic Church for concerts Dec. 7 and 8 at 7:30 p.m.

Organizer Rae Weniger, along with Adele Bonetti and Ray Biggs of host choir Voices in the Wilderness, said the concerts are typically held after the beginning of Advent and will be a fun evening of music provided by local instrumentalists, church and community choirs to help raise funds for The Salvation Army.

"We have the kettles at the door and a roped off area where people can drop off food donations as well so there's no admission, no tickets are required," said Weniger. "We do get a fairly full house so we encourage people to be early as (early) as they can so they get a good seat because seats go quickly and we always have a pretty packed house. It's a big tradition in this community. People sort of set their Christmas calendars by it."

Some of the performers include the GPRC Concert Choir, the Grande Prairie Composite High School choir, St. Paul's United Church handbell choir and the Hythe Community Choir, with more names to be added as the event gets closer.

Those interested in attending will hear some of their favourite yuletide classics with a bit of a twist.

"We're doing one song that I think has four different Christmas carols in the song. It's really beautiful music. It's sort of the best of what choirs have to offer in the community for the season," she said.

"We also have a carol sing so we have Bob Orr coming to play the organ for the carol singing."

Weniger said it's exciting to be going in to the event's 33rd year.

"It's hard to believe actually," she said. "I mean when you think about things in Grande Prairie, it's not too many that can say 33rd annual right?"

Last year, the event raised about $7,000 in food and cash donations. This year, Weniger said they hope to beat that amount.

jocelyn.turner@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @DHTJocelyn