Fundraising for youth ministry, Dec. 6 brought young and old alike together in song, an age-old tradition of Christmas music in the parish's Annual Christmas Concert.
The concert featured performances of choirs from several local Catholic schools: St. Mary's, St. Monica鱿鱼视频app, The Good Shepherd, Msgr. Clair, St. Marguerite d'Youville, Sr. Catherine Donnelly and St. Joseph's High School. Ranging from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12, the school choirs and young musicians showcased their musical talents, including performances featuring a quartet, an accordion soloist, a saxophonist and a trumpeter.
Shannon Barks has been organizing this Christmas concert since 2013, before which she helped facilitate similar concerts at a different location in Barrie. Each year鱿鱼视频app concert features two pieces by each school鱿鱼视频app choir, intermixed with pieces by the St. Mary鱿鱼视频app Church Choir. Barks has worked intimately with this church choir for over 10 years, and said this year鱿鱼视频app performance was a little different than in years past.
鈥淲e acutely felt the loss of so many voices this year,鈥� said Barks, who explained how some of their choir鱿鱼视频app core members had sadly passed in 2024.
While these valued members of the community will be dearly missed, Barks is happy to have seen new members grow into their choir as well.
Barks stressed the importance of investing in music and celebrating where there is musical growth, noting a distinct decline in choirs around her. She hopes that projects like these help encourage and promote the joy of music to young people and hopes to see an increase in music programs and choirs for youth.
鈥淭here鱿鱼视频app not the same opportunity in schools any more, not as much serious focus on music as there once was,鈥� said Barks.
The project seems to have indeed appealed greatly to the youth. Adria Alberico, Grade 2 teacher at St. Marguerite d'Youville Catholic School, reports that kids were jumping on this opportunity to perform and share their talents, and notes a distinctive team spirit arises from this Christmas concert project each year, complete with spontaneous practice in the hallways.
鈥淚t was touching, because some have never had the opportunity to sing outside of their school,鈥� said Alberico. 鈥淭hey love it. They are so excited to share their music with the community.鈥�
This is Alberico鱿鱼视频app second year co-leading the school鱿鱼视频app Christmas choir with Maurreen Martin, and, inspired by the joy it brings to the school鱿鱼视频app students, hopes to continue supporting this project in future years. Holding on to these musical traditions, she says, is an important part of Christmas.
鈥淢usic is a universal language, a feeling that stretches through the ages. Through the older Christmas songs, we can feel and experience those same feelings of hope, joy and anticipation that was given to previous generations,鈥� said Alberico.
Another aspect of the show is charity. Barks said $1,000 was raised for youth ministry in Barrie with this year's concert.