Christmas charity takes centre stage this week

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Christmas season kicks into full swing this week with several big holiday concerts happening.Jolene Draper will be performing  with How Did I Get  Tinsel There for the CKXU Holiday Extravaganza. photo by Richard Amery
The annual Mayor’s Christmas Concert featuring the Gold and Silver Community bands will be playing all the Christmas classics you can handle at Southminster United Church, Dec. 13 as well as new works. They will also be featuring harpist Karin Barg. The concert begins at 7 p.m. Admission is $15 and they will be accepting donations for Lethbridge Food Banks.


 Also on Dec. 13, the students of Infunite Drama Academy and the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy will be showing off all they know at McKillop United Church. The concert is 6:30 -8 p.m. Admission is a minimum donation of one dollar. All of the proceeds will be split between the ALS Society of Alberta and Kids Cancer. People are also being asked to bring a non-perishable food item for the Lethbridge Food Banks.

While it isn’t Christmas themed, the University of Lethbridge presents the second annual  fundraiser of First Nations and  Metis Bursary concert to CASA, Dec. 12 featuring internationally renowned violist Rivka Golani, pianist Deanna Oye and percussionist Adam Mason.
 The concert will begin at 8 p.m. with Fritz Kreisler’s  “Midnight Bells,”  Michael Colgrass’ “Variations for Drums, a special presentation followed by Ernest Bloch’s “Suite for Viola and Piano and Brahms’  “ Hungarian Dances #1 and 3.”
Tickets are $40 regular, $20 for seniors, alumni and students with all of the proceeds going to the bursary fund.


 And you can’t have Christmas without renown Christmas themed ballet Nutcracker. Although the  Moscow Ballet brought the  Great Russian Nutcracker  Ballet to Lethbridge at the Enmax Centre, Nov. 21, this week the University of Lethbridge Ballet program brings their own production of the Nutcracker to  University Theatre, Dec. 12 and 13 under the direction of Miss Mary and Carol Godlonton. There are matinees at 2 p.m., Dec. 12 and 13 and the main production , Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $23.50


For a Christmas party guaranteed to get a little bit wilder, CKXU’s Holiday Extravaganza happens at the Slice, Dec.12 featuring local bands like Cosmic Charley and the Ruby Plumes, Edmonton experimental rock band Midnight Crisis and a couple bands formed just for the occasion of tearing apart Christmas favourites including How Did I Get Tinsel There featuring Jolene Draper and Steve Martin, St. Christmas Creep and Christ Cringle.
There is a $10 cover for the show.


The other big Christmas to do is at the Coast Hotel for LA Chefs’ second edition of the Small Business Christmas Party featuring the Chevelles playing your favourite hits, Dec. 11.
The Slice goes country with local band Blacksmith ( Dwight Malchow guitar/ vocals; Marlin Pezderic bass/ vocals and drummer/ vocalist Gord Moncrieff)  playing Dec. 13. There is a five dollar cover for that show.
The Owl Acoustic Lounge features South Country Fair highlights The Whiskey Sheiks, who play Dec. 12. The Owl will be closed, Dec. 13 for a private function.


The Highway 3 Roots Revue featuring Southern Alberta songwriters Dave McCann, Leeroy Stagger and John Wort Hannam comes to the Geomatic Attic this year, Dec. 14.
 The show begins at 8 p.m. Ticket prices for The Highway 3 Roots Revue are $25 advance, $27.50 online and $30 at the door. The show begins at 8 p.m sharp.

There are a lot of local highlights this week including Paul Kype and Texas Flood rocking Casino Lethbridge blues style, Dec. 12 and 13, Steve Keenan’s open mic at Honker’s Dec. 12 and Randy Epp and Don Robb playing jazz music at the Mocha Cabana. And HBO3 have their regular Thursday night Jazz gig at Plum, Dec. 11.
Plus the Mark Hall Band plays country music at the Smokehouse on Dec. 12 as well.

— By Richard Amery, L.A. Beat Editor
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