In the Bleak Midwinter:
A Festive Choral Celebration
In the Bleak Midwinter:
A Festive Choral Celebration
Friday evening, December 11th, 2026, 7:30 pm
and
Saturday afternoon, December 12th, 2026, 2:30 pm
8255 13th Avenue, Burnaby, BC
between 1st & Newcombe
Celebrate the beauty, wonder, and joy of the season with an unforgettable evening of choral music. This festive concert brings together timeless classics, radiant contemporary works, and lively holiday favourites—all performed by a choir in full seasonal spirit.
The program features beloved masterpieces including selections from Handel’s Messiah (“And the Glory of the Lord,” “For Unto Us a Child Is Born,” and the triumphant “Worthy Is the Lamb / Amen”), alongside Abbie Bettinis’ serene arrangement of Holst’s In the Bleak Midwinter, Dan Forrest’s luminous The First Noel, and the gentle stillness of Silent Night.
You’ll also experience the shimmering sacred beauty of Morten Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium, the atmospheric storytelling of Andrew Balfour’s Anang (A Star), and the jubilant energy of Fredrik Sixten’s Alleluia. For a touch of sparkle and fun, the choir presents Greg Gilpin’s playful DingaDingaDing and Ben Parry’s vibrant arrangement of Jingle Bells.
And because no holiday concert is complete without community, the audience is invited to join in singing two cherished carols: “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” and “Joy to the World.”
From moments of quiet reflection to bursts of festive cheer, this concert offers a rich tapestry of sound that captures the heart of the season. Bring family, friends, and holiday spirit — and let the music surround you with warmth and joy.
Important: The concert start times on the Zeffy ticket platform may show an hour too late on cell phones & tablets. We hope this will soon be resolved. The actual start times are as above: 7:30 pm Friday, December 11, and 2:30 pm Saturday December 12.
A SPECIAL HIGHLIGHT THIS SEASON
A New Work. A World Premiere.
Matthew Emery — All Is Well
This season, Amabilis Singers will present the world premiere of All Is Well, a new work for choir and piano by Canadian composer Matthew Emery.
Completed in 2026, the composition sets to music words by Paul Laurence Dunbar from The Poet and His Song, exploring the sustaining power of song—even through hardship and uncertainty.
All Is Well is the first of five new choral works being commissioned through the Amabilis Singers Canadian Choral Commission Initiative as we approach our 50th anniversary in 2030.
DISCOVER THE COMMISSION INITIATIVE
Celebrate the beauty, wonder, and joy of the season with an unforgettable evening of choral music. This festive concert brings together timeless classics, radiant contemporary works, and lively holiday favourites — all performed by a choir in full seasonal spirit.
Unending Love: Pag-ibig • Amor • 愛
Unending Love: Pag-ibig • Amor • 愛
New Westminster Christian Reformed Church
8255 13th Avenue, Burnaby, BC
between 1st & Newcombe
Five Days That Changed the World: Technology, Science & Humanity
Five Days That Changed the World: Technology, Science & Humanity
New Westminster Christian Reformed Church
8255 13th Avenue, Burnaby, BC
between 1st & Newcombe
A SPECIAL HIGHLIGHT THIS SEASON
A New Work. A World Premiere.
Don Macdonald — Here Shall Be Rest
This season, Amabilis Singers will present the world premiere of Here Shall Be Rest, a new choral work by internationally recognized Canadian composer Don Macdonald.
The work sets to music Nancy Byrd Turner’s welcoming poem Motto for a Front Hall, bringing its words to life through choral music.
Here Shall Be Rest is the second of five new choral works being commissioned through the Amabilis Singers Canadian Choral Commission Initiative as we approach our 50th anniversary in 2030.
DISCOVER THE COMMISSION INITIATIVE