nightmare before christmas

By Katie Wilde

Today is Halloween and, prior to 1993, it was no doubt widely agreed as simply too early to get excited about Christmas. However, thanks to Tim Burton’s iconic film The Nightmare Before Christmas, we now have a built-in excuse to celebrate two holidays at once.

And that’s not even the best news.

Four short weeks from now, just before we head into December, Guelph Concert Band will celebrate the season by performing a selection of music from beloved Christmas and holiday films!

As a member of Guelph Concert Band, I’m truly excited for this opportunity to invite readers of ArtsBlast to attend our Christmas at the Movies concert on Sunday, November 26, at 3 p.m. in the beautiful E.L. Fox Theatre of John F. Ross Secondary School.

christmas at the movies

Think back to your childhood. What movie meant Christmas to you? What film captured the magic of winter, the adventures and misadventures of family, or marked the timing of the season for you?

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Maybe How the Grinch Stole Christmas makes your heart grow three sizes. Or The Sound of Music recalls an annual tradition of cozying up with some microwave popcorn and ginger ale in front of the TV with your mom (ok, that’s me). Something more offbeat like the theme from Gremlins, more traditional like Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus, or more claymation-Rudolph might make it for you too.

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Music is a powerful magic. It transports us in time and space, flooding minds with memory, emotion and mental imagery. Under the enchanted baton of our fearless leader, artistic director and conductor Chris Cigolea, we hope to conjure up fond memories, as well as a montage of adventure, mystery and joyous feelings that the sparkling winter brings.

Helping us bring the show to life are some fabulous guests.

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The angelic young voices of the Mitchell Woods Public School Choir will make sure you have yourself a merry little Christmas as they perform with us on four selections.

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You may know Jayme Armstrong as a top-3 finalist on CBC’s How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria, or from her many musical theatre credits. Along with one of our members, the very talented Patrick Stiles, they will dazzle you into warmth as they perform on Baby It’s Cold Outside – with a tap dance feature to boot.

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Tickets are available on Eventbrite and at the door. In addition to our regular and discounted senior/student tickets, we’re pleased to announce a new “Family” ticket option for $30. Not just for mom, dad and the kids, we think family is what you make it, and so this ticket means admission for two adults and up to four children under the age of 12.

And yes, we will be playing themes from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Thank you, Tim Burton.

Get tickets now and we’ll see you on November 26!

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