NEWS RELEASE
ORILLIA CONCERT BAND
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The Orillia Concert Band (OCB), under the direction of Randy Hoover, is pleased to kick off the Christmas season by giving you a choice of Christmas concerts on Saturday, Dec. 3.
Come enjoy either the family-oriented one-hour afternoon Christmas concert starting at 3:30 p.m. with guest choir the Orillia Community Children’s Choir or the traditional annual Christmas Prelude concert with the guest choir Orillia Vocal Ensemble starting at 7:30.
Santa is rumoured to be finding time in his busy schedule to make an appearance at the afternoon Christmas concert.
Both concerts are presented at St. Paul’s Centre in Orillia.
Tickets are available online in advance at the Orillia Opera House website or at the door (cash only). Ticket prices vary per concert:
Afternoon Christmas concert
Adults: $10
Youth (five to 18): $5
Children under five: free
Christmas Prelude concert
Adults: $15
Youth (five to 18) $10
Children under five: Free
For those who can’t attend in person, both concerts will be livestreamed on the OCB’s YouTube channel. Details on how to access the livestream are on the OCB website.
Currently planned concert programs
Afternoon Christmas concert (one hour):
A Christmas Flourish
Christmas on a Snowy Night
Frozen
’Twas the Night before Christmas (with narration)
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Orillia Community Children’s Choir
Mr. Grinch (tuba feature)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Sleigh Ride
Christmas Prelude concert (two hours):
A Christmas Flourish
Christmas on a Snowy Night
Pie Jesu (trumpet feature)
Audience carol singalong
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Orillia Vocal Ensemble
Intermission
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
’Twas the Night Before Christmas (with narration)
Sleigh Ride
Audience carol singalong
Christmas on Broadway (combined groups)
A big thank you to concert sponsors:
Steve Orr — Dapper Depot
John Mayo — BMO Wealth Management
Community Foundation Orillia and Area
For this concert the wearing of masks is strongly recommended to protect the more vulnerable demographic who typically attend these events. Thank you for your understanding and co-operation.
Information on the performers
The Orillia Concert Band is a 45-member recreational band based in the Orillia area, featuring wind, brass, and percussion instruments. Members range in age between 18 years and 81 years. The OCB presents a three-concert series each year, plus charitable fundraisers and concerts for special events. Further information on the Orillia Concert Band and upcoming concerts is available on the OCB’s website and Facebook page.
The Orillia Community Children’s Choir consists of a community of children ages eight to 13 who are all there for the same reason: to sing. The children sing music from a number of styles (pop, show tunes, classical, Canadian, jazz) all in an effort to help them become more confident and independent young people.
The Orillia Vocal Ensemble is a full-voice community choir that raises funds for local charities at performances throughout the year. Over $150,000 has been raised in the last 15 years.
Blair Bailey is active as a church musician, freelance performer, conductor, and teacher of piano and organ to students in the Orillia area. Blair attained the Associate of the Royal Conservatory diploma in piano performance as a teenager. He subsequently attended the music faculty of the University of Toronto as a pipe organ major, graduating with a master’s of music. Blair has been the organist and choir director of St. Paul’s since 1984 and is the current music director of the Orillia Vocal Ensemble.
Randy Hoover has been a contributor to the Orillia music community for many years. He has a bachelor of music and a bachelor of education from the University of Western Ontario as well as a master’s of education degree from St. Mary’s University. He holds an associate diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music in trumpet performance. He has taught secondary school music in Nova Scotia, Shelburne, Ont. and Orangeville. For the past seven years, Randy has taught at Lakehead in the education program. Locally, Randy has played in the Orillia Concert Band, the Orillia Silver Band, the Sensations Rhythm and Blues Band and with the Mariposa Arts Theatre. He is founder of the Leacock Brass Quintet and has been conductor of the Orillia Silver Junior Band. He is the founder of the Jazz Standards Trio and is currently the music director of the Orillia Concert Band and the Orillia Big Band.
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