Vancouver Cansing Choir Presents SONGS OF LIGHT

Tuesday, December 1, 2026 | 7:00 PM
City Baptist Church (formerly Immanuel Baptist Church)
109 East 40th Avenue, Vancouver, BC
Admission by Donation – Supporting the Greater Vancouver Food Bank

Join the Vancouver CanSing Community Choir, under the direction of Gerda Blok-Wilson, for Songs of Light, an uplifting evening of music celebrating hope, peace, belonging, and the light we share with one another. The choir will be joined by accompanist Oleksandr (Sasha) Luchkov and multi-instrumentalist Claire Lloyd, performing on clarinet, recorder, and percussion.

Musical highlights include Solstice Song, arranged by Canadian composer Larry Nickel; Enya’s beautiful Only Time, arranged by Vancouver composer and CanSing artistic director Gerda Blok-Wilson; and Leonard Cohen’s beloved Hallelujah, which the audience will be invited to sing along with. The choir will also perform the traditional Ukrainian lullaby Oi Khodyt’ Son Kolo Vikon, arranged by Blok-Wilson, and Nox, an evocative work by Elaine Hagenberg. Additional highlights include Vivaldi’s magnificent Gloria, festive Christmas favourites, and more opportunities for the audience to join in the singing.

A special highlight will be the world premiere of Hold On, Let Go, commissioned by Vancouver CanSing from Canadian composer Graham Yates, with lyrics by Austin poet Sean Petrie. Exploring themes of identity, belonging, and inclusion, the piece invites us to consider what we hold on to—and what we might need to let go of—to create a more welcoming world. This commission also marks a special reunion: Blok-Wilson was Yates’s very first music teacher when he was just three years old in Prince George, BC! Decades later, teacher and student reconnect as fellow composers in a wonderful full-circle musical moment.

Admission is by donation to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. Last year, our generous audience and choir community raised an incredible $12,000, and we hope to make an equally meaningful difference this year!

Online donations are encouraged through Vancouver CanSing’s dedicated Food Bank fundraising page.You can also scan the QR code on our concert poster to donate directly. For those who prefer to give in person, cash donation bowls will be available at the door. Every contribution helps support individuals and families in our community.

Come celebrate the season! Please share with family and friends!

Do you like to sing? Join the Vancouver Choir for the January – May 2027 season. Notification list.