Each year,
church choirs from across Orléans gather together at the
Community Pentecostal Church to celebrate the holy season
in song and scripture while raising money for the east end's
two local food banks.
As in
the past, this year's Christmas Choirfest was kicked off
by a joint performance of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
by the youth choruses.
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Members
of the Queenswood United Church choir perform
during the Orléans Choirfest on Sunday, Dec.
2. Fred Sherwin/Photo
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The youth
choirs at this year's event included the Sonshine Singers,
the Cross Town Youth Chorus and GleeCeptional. The Sonshine
Singers then delivered an emotional performance of It's
Christmas under the direction of Cathy Goddard. The
chorus is made up of a talented group of able-bodied and
developmentally challenged youth who share the joy of singing.
The group
was followed on stage by the Cross Town Youth Chorus who
sang Medieval Gloria, which served as one of the
highlights of the evening. The senior members of the chorus
then sang a beautiful rendition of Ave Maria.
GleeCeptional
took to the stage next to sing Let it Go, followed
by a whimsical performance I Want A Hippopotamus for
Christmas.
One of
the highlights of the Choirfest is the singing of Christmas
carols between each performance by members of the audience.
The first ensemble carol of the evening was What Child
is This. A passage from the Bible retelling the birth
of Jesus is also read between each performance.
After
the GleeCeptional performance, the audience joined together
to sing Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, during which
a freewill collection was taken up in support of the Gloucester
Emergency Food Cupboard and the Orléans-Cumberland Food
Bank.
After
the collection, the Queenswood United Church choir took
the stage to sing Rock-A-Bye Bethlehem Baby and Calypso
Rock.
The audience
then joined together in singing Il Est N�, after
which it was the Cumberland Community Singers turn to take
the stage. The talented ensemble provided one of the other
highlights of the evening with a beautiful rendition of
Lullaby for a King and Song for a Winter's Night.
The St.
Helen's Anglican Church choir followed with a performance
of The Path to the Stable and So Wonderful.
The next
chorus to take the stage was the host Community Pentecostal
Church Choir which performed What a Glorious Night
and Hope for Everyone accompanied by the combined
members of the Community Pentecostal and Gloucester Community
bands.
The final
chorus to take the stage was the Orléans United Church choir
which sang Noel: Christmas Eve, 1917 and Born
in the Fullness of Light.
The highlight
of the night, as it is every year, was the coming together
of all the choirs to sing Peace, Peace, which traditionally
brings the Choirfest to a close. A total of $2,868 was raised
at this year's event which will be split evenly between
the two food banks.
(This
story was made possible thanks to the generous support of
our local business partners.)
CANADA DAY AT THE LEGION – Canadian Legion Branch 632 on Taylor Creek Road will be hosting a fun-filled day of family-friendly activities with music and food starting at 11 am. FREE FOR EVERYONE 
ORLEANS FARMERS MARKET every Thursday from 11 am to 4 pm in the parking lot at the Ray Friel Recreation Centre on Tenth Line Road. Shop the freshest seasonal produce, meat and dairy, baked goods, prepared foods, crafts and more while getting to know the folks who grew and made it.
CUMBERLAND FARMERS MARKET from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the R.J. Kennedy Arena in Cumberland Village with 85 local farmers and vendors ready to showcase their freshest produce, handmade goods, and unique finds! FREE ADMISSION 
STRAY DOG BREWING COMPANY presents Crroked Creek live and in concert in their taproom. From Montreal, Crooked Creek effortlessly blends bluegrass and country music genres. Tickets $15 available at 
