A tradition takes off

By Dylis Jones
Candles and tickets for reserved seats are now on sale for this year’s Carols By Candlelight (Luces de Navidad) event in Panama, which is now getting some of the widespread attention it deserves.

It will take place in Plaza De Francia, Casco Viejo, on Saturday December 15, with 10 performing groups including eight choirs, Opera Panama, the National Ballet and the National Youth Orchestra.
If you are worried about parking, early birds will find room in the public parking lot near the Teatro Nacional, or you can catch a shuttle bus from the Cinta Costera.
The concert is free but if you want a reserved seat it will cost you $10 advance payment, or $15 on the day.
The audience will be invited to join in the singing of seasonal favorites from Jingle Bells and White Christmas to Silent Night and the song that first led to Carols by Candelight over 70 years ago, Away in a Manger. The grand finale involving nearly 200 singers, plus the audience, will be The First Noel. Panamanian favorites are also included , and if you don’t know the words don’t worry. Thousands of books with the words of every carol and song in Spanish and English are already being distributed throughout the city and some will be available on the 15th.
As you sing you will want to wave an LED candle and two kinds are available for either a $5 or $10 donation.
If you want to donate extra candles for the less fortunate in the community, they will be distributed via churches and community groups.
SANTA CLAUS and PERFORMERS
Santa Claus will be on hand to greet the little ones from 5.30 pm to 6.45 pm. The concert starts at 7 pm

The event, organized by the CanadaPLUS Club is endeavoring to raise funds for Hogar Malambo, Santo Tomas Hospital and Casa Katherine Brown, a retirement home for indigent Panamanians.
The complete list of performers in order of appearance is The National Youth Orchestra, The National Ballet with The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, Panama Pacifico Academy, Kings College, Hogar Malambo, Godspell fresh from their Christmas performance with the Theatre Guild of Ancon, 

Venezuela Encanto,Canto Panama, Opera Panama and Coro Redencion.

Before inviting the audience to join them in a selected favorite, each group will present its own seasonal medley.
“A night to remember” is a bit of a cliché, but people are still talking about last year’s performance and I’m sure you are not going to be disappointed.
There will be a candlelight parade for the official lighting of the Christmas tree, donated by the Canadian Embassy, on December 12, and that will be another outing for all the family, but more on that later in the week
ORDERING
Tickets and candles can be obtained from carolspanama@gmail.com or by calling 6619-6890. You will of course get a book with your candle, and if you want more for your church or community group, they will be available. Orders of seats and/or candles of $30 or more, will be delivered to your home or office.
But move quickly. Last year the majority of seats were reserved 10 days before the concert.

By the time this appears on your screen there will be only 24 days to go, meaning just two weeks to guarantee a seat.