Festive show perfect for Christmas leadup

It's almost Christmas.

Both vocal and instrumental music are on the programme when the Linden Singers of Hawke's Bay, founder-director Basil Brooker and Hawke's Bay Youth Orchestra with conductor Susan Melville combine to present Music for the Festive Season in the auditorium at Lindisfarne College, Pakowhai Rd, Hastings at 2pm this Saturday, December 5.

The Linden Singers will be on show in the first half of the programme with a varied selection of Christmas carols, including Adam Lay Ybounden by Dr Boris Ord, Patrick Hadley's I Sing of a Maiden featuring the women's voices, plus an abundance of festive season merry-making including Deck the Halls With Boughs of Holly and concluding with the exuberant carol, Jesus Child by contemporary English composer John Rutter. Elizabeth Curtis will provide piano accompaniments.

Included also will be a reading about the origins of Christmas trees and the Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin, played by Lindisfarne College pianist Darcy Snell.

Led by accomplished violinist and singer Larissa Kent from Havelock North High School, winner of this year's Young Musician of the Year competition, the Youth Orchestra will present a variety of music themed for Christmas and a selection of American folk tunes, plus excerpts from Lord of the Rings and William Walton's majestic Crown Imperial Coronation March which was played at the coronation of King George VI and at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

At the invitation of the New Zealand China Friendship Society, the Youth Orchestra is planning a trip to China in April 2016 - to the Hastings sister city of Guilin and then to Shanghai.

The choir and orchestra will combine in a climax to the programme with Walford Davies' O Little Town of Bethlehem, Break Forth of Beauteous, Heav'nly Light from Bach's Christmas Oratorio, The Lively Carol Sir Christmas by William Mathais and Mendelssohn's arrangement of Charles Wesley's Hark the Herald Angels Sing.

-Door sales admission $15; children $5; family of four $25.