For their first concert in nearly two years, Curt Jantzen’s Delta Music Makers are delighted to be performing in Ladner on Dec. 7 at the Ladner Community Centre at 7 p.m.
“My co-conductor Margaret [Behenna] and I will be presenting a lively set of well-known and well-loved Christmas songs to which the audience can hum along, and of course we will end with the famous Christmas Sing Along,” said Jantzen.
Behenna and Alan Dodds will entice everyone to sing on this final number, which has been a tradition at the Ladner Community Centre for many years.
Besides the singalong finale, the audience will enjoy several instrumental features, such as Buglers Holiday with three amazing trumpeters, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas featuring alto sax and trumpet duet, Gesu Bambino showcasing a lovely baritone horn solo, a gorgeous arrangement of I Saw Three Ships, Jingle Bell Rock, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and more.
Delta Parks, Recreation, and Culture Department is hosting this free concert. Everyone should be aware that age-appropriate vaccination passports and ID will be required for entry, for audience and musicians alike.
December of 2019 marked the last performance of the Delta Music Makers, followed by a complete shut-down for the pandemic.
For the next several months, through the worst shut-downs, members found creative ways to keep their music alive. A number of band members, including Jantzen, played nightly at 7 p.m. off their balconies or their front doors in honour of front-line workers. Still to this day, several soloists or small ensembles continue to give weekly concerts in their neighbourhoods.
“Finally, in summer of 2021, we organized a few carefully managed outdoor rehearsals for 30 to 35 musicians, and to our players this was like manna from heaven, playing in a large band again,” said Jantzen.
The two conductors planned, with some trepidation, to start indoor rehearsals this past October, and were limited to 36 musicians because of the size of the room and the requirement for spacing between chairs. Those 36 are currently enjoying the fall term and feeling very privileged to be back. The band is sounding good, according to Jantzen.
The band is now looking for a larger space at Delta Secondary to accommodate additional musicians who are hoping to return in January.
