The Upper Canada Choristers & Cantemos present “A Holiday Travelogue”

Centuries-old Christmas carols from Ireland, Scotland, Spain, and South America, 20th century music from England and Sweden, folkloric numbers, and new sounds from here at home offer an aural array of Christmas delights.

Laurie Evan Fraser conducts the Upper Canada Choristers and accomplished Latin ensemble Cantemos, with pianist Hye Won (Cecilia) Lee. Baritone Bradley Christensen returns as guest artist in the beloved Fantasia on Christmas Carols by Ralph Vaughan Williams, which features regional English folk carols, interspersed with ones more commonly known.

With emcee Nora Dunn as tour guide, the musical excursion takes the audience back some eight centuries to Ireland’s Wexford Carol, and ahead by a few centuries for traditional carols and villancicos from Provence and Spain, a more contemporary aguinaldo from Venezuela, Gilbert Martin’s Scottish lullaby, Baloo, Lammy (Lullaby, Little Lamb), based on a traditional 17th century Celtic carol, and Swedish composer Gustaf Nordqvist’s 1921 Jul, Jul, Stralande Jul (Christmas, glorious Christmas), evoking the light of Christmas on a snowy landscape.

Winter Fanfare, composed by Laurie Evan Fraser with lyrics by Jacqui Atkin, contrasts with the premiere of A Dream of Summer, UCC tenor Matthew Secaur’s setting of a poem of optimism by John Greenleaf Whittier.

Cantemos sings two aguinaldos from Venezuela – the contemporary carol, Partamos a Belen (Let’s all go to Bethlehem) by one of the choir’s favorite composers, Cesar Alejandro Carrillo, and the Aguinaldo Carupanero, placing the Christmas story in the Caribbean region, with Mary and Joseph seeking a dwelling on the beach while the Three Wise Men drink rum. Rounding out its Christmas set is El poncho andino, from Venezuela, arranged by Carrillo for basses, tenors, baritones; and Ya viene la vieja from Spain.

Tickets ($30) are available in advance or at the door. Children 16 and under are admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult.

The concert also streams live via the choir’s website or directly on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/live/CEGEDHdkKDo). There is no charge, but donations are gratefully welcomed.