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A Holiday Celebration for the preservation and maintenance of the historic Pipe Organ at Canadian Memorial United Church.
This December, be transported into a world of festive joy with “The Gift of Music – A Classic Christmas,” a heartwarming and uplifting Christmas Concert featuring the grandeur of pipe organ and brass.
Historic Canadian Memorial United Church heralds the beginning of the festive season with timeless Christmas melodies and holiday favourites. The concert is showcasing the talents of accomplished Canadian Memorial organist Bruce McKenzie, alongside the vibrant and dynamic Lions Gate Brass Quintet, and the Canadian Memorial Music Team under the direction of Jay Esplana. The program is brimming with Christmas music you love—stirring organ pieces, radiant brass arrangements, and joyful carol sing-alongs.
Adding a nostalgic touch, the Canadian Memorial United Church Players present a live performance of the beloved short Christmas radio play, “The Gift of the Magi.”
All proceeds directly support the Organ Fund, ensuring the preservation and care of Canadian Memorial’s 96 year old Casavant Pipe Organ – a community treasure.
Don’t miss this chance to be part of a spectacular event filled with music, tradition, and community, while helping preserve one of Vancouver’s most cherished musical instruments.
Four hilarious shorts from the golden age of silent movies, featuring three of Vancouver’s own organists providing live accompaniment with literally all the bells and whistles!
The organists:
Michael Dirk
Edward Norman
Koos van Nieuwkoop
The movies:
Good Night Nurse (1918) – Starring Roscoe Arbuckle with Buster Keaton
April Fool (1924) – starring Charley Chase with Blanche Mehaffey
Mighty Like a Moose (1926) – Starring Charley Chase with Vivien Oakland
Fiddlesticks (1927) – Starring Harry Langdon
Presented by St Mary’s Kerrisdale Parish Choir with Kirk Adsett, Director of Music/Organist
You are all warmly invited to St. John’s Shaughnessy Anglican Church’s January Choral Evensong.
For this service, Denis Bédard’s former UBC organ students and SJS organists Michael Dirk and David Poon are mounting a music programme in honour of Denis’ 75th birthday.
A celebratory reception will follow the service.
Repertoire will include:
- Responses: Richard Ayleward
- Canticles: Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in D, Herbert Brewer
- Psalm: 113, David Poon, after Denis Bédard
- Anthem: May None of God’s Wonderful Works, Denis Bédard
- Postlude: Festive Toccata, Denis Bédard
- Hymns: Cruger, Old Hundredth
We are sorry to have to announce that tonight’s concert is cancelled due to snow and icy conditions.
We plan to reschedule this concert at a later date. Stay tuned!
Marnie Giesbrecht and Joachim Segger are Duo Majoya, a versatile and innovative keyboard team that performs keyboard duets of all combinations in North America, Europe, South Africa and Asia. Duo Majoya records a broad range of repertoire on CDs and on their YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@duomajoya; for more information, please see www.duomajoya.com.
The Langley concert will be interactive, including congregational singing and a close-up of the keyboards. Dr. Marnie Giesbrecht and Dr. Joachim Segger have taught at the University of Alberta and Kings University and are excellent communicators. Marnie and Joachim are Music Directors at First Presbyterian Church in downtown Edmonton.
What can you expect? The duo will perform on the organ and the piano and sometimes do so simultaneously with four hands on the keyboard! This concert will be fascinating, informative, and entertaining for children as well! Join us for a wonderful evening of musical enjoyment. Refreshments will be served after the program.
Programme:
Sonata in D Major, K. 381 Wolfgang A. Mozart (1756-1791) arr. Duo Majoya
- Allegro
- Andante
- Allegro molto
Grande Suite pour orgue et piano (2015-16) Denis Bédard (b. 1950)
- I Ouverture
- II Évocation (les Prairies canadiennes)
- III Ritournelle
- IV Dialogue
- V Intermezzo
- VI Menuet
- VII Marche
Psalm 65 improv and hymn sing
Slavonic Dances Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)
- E minor, op. 46 no. 2
- A flat major, op. 46 no 3
The Last Rose of Summer for Piano and Organ (2011) Jacobus Kloppers (b. 1937)
Capriccio pour orgue et piano (2007) Denis Bédard
As Duo Majoya, Marnie Giesbrecht and Joachim Segger have performed a distinctive repertoire of commissioned, original and arranged works on community and university concert series, at conventions and international organ festivals. Commissions include works for organ duet and organ/piano by Canadian and international composers funded by the RCCO (Royal Canadian College of Organists), AFA, Canada Council, and other sources. Commissions include more than twenty pieces for organ duet and organ/piano by Canadian and international composers; Duo Majoya records a broad range of keyboard duet repertoire on CDs and videos.
Enthusiasts and advocates for the development of organ music in Edmonton and Canada through leadership roles in the RCCO and other regional and national musical organizations, Giesbrecht and Segger also serve the Edmonton community as music directors at First Presbyterian Church. The duo was inducted into the Edmonton Cultural Hall of Fame in June, 2014 for their individual careers and exceptional work as Duo Majoya. In July, 2015, Giesbrecht and Segger were inaugurated Honorary Fellows of the Royal Canadian College of Organists.
Giesbrecht and Segger began playing piano duets upon meeting as students. Their piano studies intersected in the classes of Ernesto Lejano (University of Alberta) and Kurt Neumüller (Mozarteum in Salzburg); and the Eastman School of Music (Cecile Genhart and Barry Snyder). Playing piano duets continues to be a constant joy.
Dr. Giesbrecht is Professor Emerita and University Organist at the University of Alberta; and Adjunct Professor of at The King’s University; Dr. Segger is Professor of Music and Chair of the Music Department at The King’s University.