In From the Cold Christmas Concert to be Livestreamed This Year

The 22nd Annual In From the Cold Christmas concert will be livestreamed from St. James United Church on Dec. 11 at 8 p.m.

File Photo.

The annual concert has been a mainstay of the Peterborough Christmas season since its inception in 2000, having raised over $150,000 for the YES Shelter of Peterborough over the years.

Last year’s audio retrospective, broadcast on Trent Radio, raised a record total of almost $13,000.00 through an online Canada Helps fundraiser.

“A year ago I never would have guessed that, this year, we would not be back at the Market Hall performing to a full house, once again,” said concert organizer, John Hoffman. “But, although things are much better with the pandemic, there were still some uncertainties around safety when we had to make decisions about staging the concert.”

Given the livestreaming possibilities that were developed by the St. James Players over the past 20 months, Hoffman and his colleagues decided to take the show online for this year. Performers will be playing live at the church, and people can watch the concert on the internet by going to stjamesplayers.ca/live

In From the Cold 2021 will feature a mix of traditional, Celtic and contemporary Christmas and winter songs performed by perennial In From the Cold hosted folk band Carried Away and their musical friend Curtis Driedger. What’s different this year that, for the first time, the Convivio Chorus will not be part of the show.

“We just couldn’t be certain enough about everyone’s safety and comfort,” explains Hoffman.

Driedger will not be appearing as Enrique “Roy” Claveer, but rather as a member of The McDonnel St. Gospel Quartet, who will render some Christmas songs in spirited country gospel style.

“This concert creates a warm and supported feeling for all of us at the YES Shelter for Youth and Families,” said Brooke Erickson, Development Lead at YES. “People experiencing homelessness in Peterborough can sometimes feel forgotten by their community. In From the Cold is an annual reminder that Peterborough is a city that comes together in support of their neighbours that are profoundly struggling.”

Tickets will not be sold for this event. The livestream is available free-of-charge but viewers and supporters are encouraged to donate to the In From the Cold fundraiser for YES at the following link when they enjoy the show.

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/in-from-the-cold-peterborough-2021/

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The Amazing Impact In From The Cold Has Had During Its 18 Years In Peterborough

In 2000, a group of Peterborough musical friends established a Christmas concert that was unlike any other—more influenced by Celtic and roots music, and one where people would hear something other than the usual Christmas carols and standards we hear every year.

"I was also inspired by Tom Jackson’s annual The Huron Carole concerts that raise money for local food banks," says one of its founders John Hoffman. "So we decided to launch the concert and donate the money to a local charity. Then I discovered that a small group was trying to establish a facility for homeless youth and that seemed like the perfect beneficiary for us."

Now, nearly two decades later, In From The Cold has had a huge impact—raising more than $100,000 for YES Shelter for Youth and Families, and also helped to raise awareness about the needs of homeless youth in our community.

After 18 years, Hoffman says that what has really kept this much-loved, anticipated event going over the years is two things: the music and what he calls the "In From the Cold feeling".

"The concert is a great creative exercise for us musicians," he tells PTBOCanada. "We enjoy digging up beautiful Christmas songs that are seldom sung but deserve to be heard. We love arranging them and performing them in our signature Celtic style. And then, the feeling you get when you walk out on the stage to perform is just magical. It’s like a huge family gathering—a really supportive, responsive audience. Lots and lots of people come to see the show each year, so it’s kind of like a family reunion."

THE PERFORMERS

-> Carried Away (Susan Newman, Rob Fortin and John Hoffman, with guests Michael Ketemer and Tanah Haney)
-> The Convivio Chorus (choir)
-> Enriqué “Roy” Claveer (Curtis Driedger)
-> Michael Ketemer: does a fingerstyle guitar solo each year

SOME NEAT SONGS DURING THIS YEAR'S CONCERT

-> Susan Newman has set the Robert Frost poem, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening", to music and arranged it for choir.
-> "Noel est Arrivé": a very old, rollicking song from Provence
-> "Christ Child’s Lullaby", from the Outer Hebrides
-> "Wintergrace", an Appalachian song: "It is so catchy and lovely, it’s hard to believe that hardly anyone sings it anymore," says Hoffman.
-> "Sweet Bells", a lovely and lively carol from Yorkshire
-> "A Cradle In Bethlehem", which was a hit for Nat King Cole in 1960

Hoffman says there will also be versions of some Christmas standards, including "Silent Night", "Good King Wenceslas" and the "Gloucester Wassail".

The 18th annual In From The Cold concert takes place on December 8th and 9th this year at Market Hall. Tickets are $20 ($15 for students and children), and available at Moondance or at the Market Hall online box office.

Local filmmaker Rodney Fuentes has made a short documentary about the concert. Watch it below...

Since 2000, a group of musicians in Peterborough, Ontario have provided an annual Christmas concert called In From The Cold. This concert not only celebrates the music of the season but is also an important fundraising event for the YES Shelter for Youth and Families.

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