With snow flakes dancing in the air the 2019 Christmas Recital at Harcourt United Church in Guelph kicked off with a bang. The furious Cavalry Gallop by Dimitry Kabalevsky launched out of the gate and got things rolling. It turned out to be a recital of many firsts, with four players of varying ages performing for their very first time. The budding performers played the nursery rhythm favourites Old MacDonald and Are You Sleeping?, as well as a Gavotte by Handel and Christopher Norton’s After the Battle.

A few seasonal favourites were also on the program including Have a Holly Jolly Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, and The First Noel. Audience members participated in singalongs of Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Deck the Halls and were also subjected to some questionable Christmas wit by the host, including jokes like:

What did one snowman say to the other?

“Do you smell carrots?” 🤣🤣🤣

It was also a concert of extremes. Some of the more tumultuous pieces included Burgmüller’s The Storm, Chopin’s Waltz in C# Minor, music by Philip Glass from the film, The Hours, and Grieg’s piano arrangement of In the Hall of the Mountain King. On the softer side, pieces like Anne Crosby Gaudet’s Angelfish, Ludovico Einaudi’s Primavera, William Gillock’s Moonlight Mood, as well as Felix Mendelssohn’s Consolation lulled the audience into a state of peace and well-being.

I also enjoyed the opportunity to debut my new Nocturne in front of a live audience. Please see the performance below.

Congratulations to all who took part and have a Merry Christmas, ho ho ho!