DECEMBER NEWSLETTER — What’s On in December
The holiday season promises to sparkle at ArtSpring, with one major ArtSpring Presents performance, a Met Opera premiere, and a busy house of local and regional choirs and concerts to capture the festive spirit.
Saturday’s opera schedule at ArtSpring is one of the island’s best kept secrets according to ardent fans. Broadcast live from the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the simulcast event has Salt Springers take their seats in concert with the in-person audience but with the added experience of behind-the-scenes interviews, footage of scene changes and production design, and the all-important coffee and quiche intermission.
On December 9, The Met premieres Florencia en el Amazona. Sung in Spanish and inspired by magical realism, Mexican composer Daniel Catán’s story focuses on opera diva Florencia Grimaldi, who returns to her native Brazil to perform and search for her lost lover who has vanished into the jungle. If you’ve never been the the opera, come give it a try!
On December 15, ArtSpring welcomes UK-based Gothic Voices for the first time. In what BBC Music Magazine chose as its number one “unmissable Christmas event,” Nowell Synge We Bothe Al and Som is a reimagined carol evening with choral performances that take us back to medieval times.
December is also the time for local and regional productions such as Metta Grove, a Tribute to Ukraine, Salt Spring Film Festival’s revival of The Last Waltz, the GISS Music concert, Vetta’s Monday mid-day concert, and Viva Chorale’s Food Bank Fundraiser event.
Don’t forget tickets or gift certificates are available for purchase as holiday presents and we hope you consider a donation to ArtSpring in time to receive a 2023 tax receipt.
See you at ArtSpring! Please note ArtSpring closes December 23 and reopens for the new year on Tuesday January 9, 2024.
See you at ArtSpring!
With thanks,
Howard R. Jang, Executive & Artistic Director
ArtSpring
ArtSpring Presents In The Theatre
MET OPERA: LIVE IN HD — Florencia en el Amazonas
PREMIERE. The new production brings the mystical realm of the Amazon to the Met stage as opera diva Florencia Grimaldi returns to her native Brazil to search for her lost lover who has vanished into the jungle. Sung in Spanish with subtitles, an all star cast navigates intrigue and emotion on board the riverboat El Dorado to its final destination and story conclusion.
GOTHIC VOICES: Nowell Synge We Bothe Al and Som
For what the BBC called an “unmissable Christmas event,” join us in welcoming UK’s Gothic Voices who for 30 years has been renowned for its excellence and spirituality in harnessing the haunting choral legacy of Medieval English carols, chants, and music.
Community Presentations
Multimedia artist Simon Haiduk presents a concert of digital art animations and ambient soundscapes curated to engage the soul, explore creativity, and emphasize nature and spirituality. Presentations will be given by Simon on his creative process and integration of plant medicines and by his partner Jane Calm, a therapeutic counsellor, on accessing psychic abilities.
As a rich celebration of heritage and homeland, the folk songs, dance, and music of Ukraine are performed by a collective of national and international artists in this passionate cultural performance. The concert is a fundraiser for the purchase of medical supplies.
Vetta Chamber Music Mon Dec 4 | 2:30pm | $30
Vetta’s ensemble of the mentorship program is back by popular demand, this time as a dynamic string orchestra playing Mozart, Bartók and Dvořák! This is concert two of five in Vetta’s new Monday matinee format. A beautiful way to spend an afternoon.
Come join the GISS Music winter showcase! The show will feature students from the Composition/Songwriting Class, GISPA Music, Concert Band, Jazz Band and Choir. The comp class will be divided over two nights, so come to both nights to make sure you get all the music!
Viva Chorale! presents Food Bank Fundraiser Concert
Fri Dec 22 | 7:00pm | $$2-$25
Viva Chorale’s annual Food Bank Fundraiser is a joyous evening of choral music, story-telling, and sing-alongs that will get the whole family in a holiday mood.
Embrace the spirit of Peace On Earth and Goodwill to All with Beatrix Potter’s beloved “Tailor of Gloucester,” narrated by actor Chris Humphreys. Viva Chorale! community choir performs seasonal music in between readings, and audience members can join in carol-singing.
Exhibitions & Galleries
Katie’s work is inspired by her somatic and tactile relationship with dance and nature. She predominantly focuses on the human body utilizing form, colour, and shadow to depict darker themes. This collection of paintings embodies these themes and the pieces are selected from work spanning the last three to five years with a handful from her much earlier work.
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