Festival of Carols

In This Performance

Traditional Christmas Carols and works by Felix Mendelssohn, Jonathan Dove, Morten Lauridsen and many more!
Heartbeat by Shireen Abu-Khader – a TMC commission

On the music

Celebrate this holiday season with Toronto’s beloved tradition — Toronto Mendelssohn Choir’s annual celebration of music: Festival of Carols. This year, the TMChoir is bringing back the much-anticipated sing-along portion of the concert with pieces such as Joy to the World, Silent Night, and O Come All Ye Faithful. Under the direction of Maestro Jean-Sébastien Vallée, both the TMChoir and TMSingers bring this program to life, and are joined by guest artist Isabelle Demers on the organ.

This year’s program also features a brand-new commission from composer-in-residence Dr. Shireen Abu-Khader: Heartbeat. She writes, “The starting point for composing this carol stemmed from asking the question, “Why do all beautiful Christmas carols, that the world knows, not match the soundscape of the actual birth of Christ – Bethlehem?” The piece itself uses Byzantine chant and Greek melodies familiar to the composer, along with newly composed melodies focussing on the welcoming of children and the emotions of motherhood.