The Tribune

THE Bel Canto Singers ushered in Christmas for many at the weekend with two concerts in contrasting settings, offering arrangements of traditional carols and anthems mixed with spirituals.

For their 16th annual “Christmastide” Bel Canto entranced audiences in elegant and intimate surroundings at Old Fort Bay on Friday evening and the following night in the grandeur of the St Andrew’s Presbyterian Kirk with the Governor General, Dame Marguerite Pindling, in attendance.

Bel Canto director and founder Eldridge McPhee again picked peace on earth as the theme of Christmastide 2015 with a programme of 16 musical pieces, starting with ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’ and ‘Hark The Herald Angels Sing’ and closing with their own arrangement of ‘We Wish You A Merry Christmas’. Highlights of the selection were a rendition of Patapan, an 18th century French carol, and Candace Bostwick’s solo ‘Ave Maria’. ‘Joy To The World’, Melchior’s Carol’, ‘The First Noel’ and another traditional French carol ‘Angles We Have Heard On High’ also featured.

“We have carefully chosen music that we hope will be pleasing on many levels - but mostly that the music will feed your spirit and consciousness,” Mr McPhee said. “One song speaks of the recognition of of the unheard in our communities, and yet another heralds the reason for the season, which is that situations that we find painful may yet help us to experience not only comfort but even hope.”

Proceeds from the performances will go to charity, with Friday’s gala night beneficiaries being nominated organisations by Burns House and the Rotary Club of East Nassau, whose silent auction raised enough to fund two partial scholarships worth $3,000 each.

The Solomon Adderley Memorial Scholarship Fund and the Bahamas Aids Foundation will also be supported.