NEWS RELEASE
ORILLIA CONCERT BAND
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Do you enjoy singing Christmas carols? Do you enjoy listening to great choirs? Does listening to Christmas music bring the Christmas spirit out in you? Then do we have the concerts for you!
The Orillia Concert Band, under the direction of Randy Hoover, is pleased to kick off the Christmas Season by giving you a choice of Christmas Concerts on Saturday, Dec. 2.
Come enjoy either the family-oriented one hour Afternoon Christmas Concert, starting at 3:30 p.m., with guest choir, Twin Lake Secondary School Choir, under the direction of Christina Bosco; or join us at 7:30 p.m. for the traditional annual Christmas Prelude Concert, with guest choir Orillia Vocal Ensemble, under the direction of Blair Bailey.
Both concerts are presented at St Paul’s Centre in Orillia.
Both concerts will feature carol sing-alongs where the words will be presented on screen for you to sing along with the band.
Santa is rumoured to be finding time in his busy schedule to make an appearance at the Afternoon Christmas Concert!
Come listen to the children in the audience at the Afternoon Christmas Concert singing the words from Frozen (from memory) louder than the band is playing.
These concerts will bring the joy of the season to everyone who attends.
Tickets are available online in advance at the OCB Ticket Page or at the door (cash only). Ticket prices vary per concert:
Tickets Prices for the Afternoon Christmas Concert:
Family * (2 adults plus up to 4 youth) $20
* Family Tickets are available for purchase online only.
Adults/Seniors $10
Youth (18 and younger) $5
Children under 5 free
Note: Afternoon concert tickets are not valid for entry into the evening Christmas Prelude Concert.
Tickets prices for the evening Christmas Prelude Concert:
Adults $20
Seniors (60 plus) $15
Post-secondary students $15
Youth (18 and younger) $10
Children under 5 free
For those who can’t attend in person, both concerts will be live-streamed on the OCB’s YouTube channel. Details on how to access the live stream are on theOCB Livestream Page.
A big thank you to the Orillia Concert Band’s major Christmas concert sponsors below and to all the businesses and organizations that support us:
Steve Orr - Dapper Depot
John Mayo - BMO Wealth Management
Jenna French – Rustica Pizza Vino
Len Skok – Pine Tree Real Estate
Couchiching Craft Brewing Company
Information on the performers:
The Orillia Concert Band is a 45-member recreational band based in the Orillia area, featuring wind, brass, and percussion instruments. Members range in age between 18 years to 81 years!
The OCB presents a 3-concert series each year plus charitable fund raisers and concerts for special events. Further Information on the Orillia Concert Band and upcoming concerts is available on the OCB’sWebsite and Facebook page.
Randy Hoover has been a contributor to the Orillia music community for many years. He has a Bachelor of Music and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Western Ontario as well as a Master’s of Education degree from St. Mary’s University. He holds an Associate Diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Trumpet Performance.
He has taught secondary school music in Nova Scotia, Shelburne, Ontario and Orangeville. For the past seven years, Randy has taught at Lakehead in the education program. Locally, Randy has played in the Orillia Concert Band, the Orillia Silver Band, the Sensations Rhythm and Blues Band and with the Mariposa Arts Theatre. He is founder of the Leacock Brass Quintet and has been conductor of the Orillia Silver Junior Band. He is the founder of the Jazz Standards Trio and is currently the Music Director of the Orillia Concert Band and the Orillia Big Band.
The Twin Lakes Secondary School Choir, The Voices of Thunder, are a group of highly motivated, talented, and dedicated individuals who love the art of choral singing. They have performed in the Orillia area at various venues: The Orillia Jazz Festival, The Rotary Festival of the Trees, The Orillia Square Mall, The Kiwanis Festival, and the many Arts Events at the Twin Lakes Secondary School. They have performed with the following community groups: the Jubilee Chorale, the Hawkestone Singers, the Cellar Singers , and the Orillia Wind Ensemble.
The conductress of the Twin Lakes Secondary School Choir, Christina Bosco, is a well-known and celebrated classical and contemporary vocal soloist specializing in sacred, secular, jazz and blues music. She is the Arts Department Curriculum Leader and music director at Twin Lakes Secondary School. Outside of her teaching career, Christina was the Music Director for the Orillia Mariposa Arts Theatre’s productions of CHICAGO and The Rocky Horror Show. Christina is a member of an Orillia-based vocal jazz quartet, Jazz Beens.
The Orillia Vocal Ensemble is a full voice community choir that raises funds for local charities at performances throughout the year. Over $150,000 has been raised in the last 15 years.
Blair Bailey is active as a church musician, freelance performer, conductor, and teacher of piano and organ, to students in the Orillia area. Blair attained the Associate of the Royal Conservatory diploma in Piano Performance as a teenager. He subsequently attended the music faculty of the University of Toronto as a pipe organ major, graduating with a Masters of Music. Blair has been the organist and choir director of St. Paul’s since 1984 and is the current music director of the Orillia Vocal Ensemble.
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