Hallowe’en has only just passed and we all know that means it’s time to start thinking about Christmas! The usually bevy of jingles will fill our radios and malls and soon we just won’t be able to get that tune out of our head, whether it’s Jingle Bells or Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. October 31st goes by and suddenly we’re hearing White Christmas all over the place. You’ll be wanting to get those tunes out though, because it’s always the same thing every year. By the end of November we’re sick of it and wish the 25th would just hurry up and get here so we can finally listen to something different. Well, this year you needn’t wait nearly so long. On Saturday December 9th the Calgary Men’s chorus holds their annual Christmas Concert at the Knox United Church. This year it will be a little different. Rather than the usual tired collection of Christmas tunes they will be providing you with LUX: A Celebration of Light, thusly named for the piece Lux Aurumque. They will open with a Gregorian chant, to be followed with several uplifting pieces that will be sure to delight.

As an added bonus the evening will include Encore, a local Calgary choir under the direction of Liz Paynter, who has collaborated with the Men’s Chorus in the past. She assisted them as director for their June concert and Encore is one of her own groups. They’re relatively new and the Men’s Chorus is glad to help them find their footing with this, their eleventh Christmas concert.

The Men’s Chorus themselves will be under the new direction of Jean-Louis Bleau who only recently joined the choir this September. Bleau first heard of the Calgary Men’s Chorus through a friend two or three years ago, and had always been a bit intrigued, especially as he is a counter-tenor. He felt they could use his singing voice and approached them about it. Amusingly enough they didn’t need such a voice but they were looking out for a director, and Bleau has been directing for four years, so jumped at the chance.

In a recent interview, Bleau told GayCalgary.com that he says is a bit nervous about this concert because it’s such a well-established choir, and there is a certain expectation from those attending their concerts. “It’s a bit intimidating,” he says, “but I’m looking forward to it. The music is challenging.” It sounds like he’s quite comfortable with the selection and eager to see how well the choir works under his new direction. The president of the board, Randall McGinniss, has complete confidence in Bleau.

Advance tickets to this holiday event are $15, or $18 at the door. The proceeds will be put back into the Chorus this year. Good luck to Jean-Louis and hopefully this will replace that annoying Christmas tune stuck in your head with something a little more enlightening.

The Calgary Men’s Chorus presents

LUX: A Celebration of Light

Knox United Church

Saturday, December 9th

www.calgarymenschorus.org