Stettler music lovers got a late dose of holiday cheer when the Cantus Choir presented its annual Christmas concert last weekend — about three weeks later than usual.
The choir had scheduled its concert for Dec. 14, but had to postpone after director Gordon Moorlag slipped on the ice on his way to the gym, bruising his ribs and wrenching his knee.
With their leader temporarily out of commission, the choir delayed the concert till the evening of Sunday, Jan. 4, when it was held at the Stettler Alliance Church, drawing an appreciative crowd of about 70 people.
“People still came out four weeks later, so it’s good,” said Moorlag, explaining that the choir has developed “a dedicated audience” that knows what to expect from them.
The concert went on with the same set-list that had been planned for December, ranging from hymns and Christmas standards to pop songs and an original composition by Moorlag.
“It’s a bit of everything, which the choir likes, and I like, and the audience likes,” he explained.
Neil Pinder served as the emcee for the evening, introducing the performances by the 18-member choir, and throwing in the occasional joke, like referring to Moorlag as a “benevolent dictator.”
The choir opened with “Gratias Tibi Deus (Thanks Be To God),” an original song written by Moorlag and developed around the Latin phrase. Other classical pieces featured included George Frederic Handel’s “Lascia Ch’io Pianga” and Joseph M. Martin’s “Morning of Promise.”
Pop offerings included “Days of Wine and Roses” from the 1962 film of the same name, the Pretenders’ “I’ll Stand By You,” Gordon Lightfoot’s “Song for a Winter’s Night” and Michael W. Smith’s “All is Well.”
The choir also performed the hymn “Precious Lord, Take My Hand,” as well as Christmas songs like “Born in Bethlehem,” “The Huron Carol,” and “Gaudete,” dating back to the 16th century and repopularized by the folk group Steeleye Span in 1973.
Close to half of the setlist was performed without instruments (a cappella); other songs were performed to recorded music, or with piano accompaniment by alto Betty Stokoe. Flautist Jenny Munholland accompanied the choir on “Song of Mary.”
After receiving a standing ovation, the choir concluded the concert with the encore “Deep Peace.”
Moorlag said he was very pleased with the results, especially given that the choir had not had a full rehearsal since Dec. 7. They warmed up extensively prior to Sunday’s show, which served to “tweak the memory cells,” in Moorlag’s words.
“We didn’t have to delete anything because of the time off,” said Moorlag, adding that the choir began rehearsing in September, gathering weekly on Sunday nights.
Moorlag has directed the choir since 1981, when he arrived in Stettler from Windsor, Ont., to teach music. At that time it was known as the Stettler Madrigal Singers and consisted solely of teachers from the public school division.
The choir later grew to include members from the greater community, and it was renamed — reflecting a change in repertoire and style — to the Cantus Choir, taking its name from the Latin word for “singing.”
The Cantus Choir also traditionally holds a spring concert just prior to Easter, in addition to its annual Christmas performance. For more information, visit www.cantuschoir.com.