CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT: Dont be left standing

By Dylis Jones

With less than a week to go before this year’s celebration of Panama’s new tradition, Carols by Candlelight, reserved seats are disappearing fast.

If you are planning to attend the multi-faceted  three hour performance, and have adopted another local tradition, booking at the last minute, you could be left standing.

The concert is free, but  a seat reserved  in  advance costs $10. On performance day, December 15, seats will be $15.

If you are there  you will be part of the show as after each 15 minute presentation by a choir, the audience is invited to join in singing a seasonal  favorite  including Jingle  Bells, Away in a Manger, Silent Night, White Christmas, the Panamanian  El Burrito  Sabanero and the grand  finale including all eight choirs, The First Noel.

If you don’t know the words, don’t worry. A beautifully designed song book, free like the concert, contains the lyrics in English and Spanish.

The first on stage presenters are The National Youth Orchestra providing a Christmas musical selection followed by dancers  from the The National Ballet. performing  the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from Tchaivovsky’s perrenial favorite, The Nutcracker.

the Venezuela Encanto group, will  lead off the choral presentations  and introduce the audience to some favorites from their homeland.Children’s choirs from two  newly opened schools. Panama Pacifico Academy and Kings College  will carry the concerte forward, and get you, the audience to be part of the show singing and waving your LED candles. They will be followed by the Hogar Malambo Choir. Hogar Malambo, a children’s orphanage and school,  is  one  of the prime recipients of funds raised from the event.

The Godspell Choral team,  under the direction of Melanie Lee, fresh from their sizzling performance at the Theatre Guild of Ancon Christmas show, adds a new spicy  element to the  Navidad  mix.

A now familiar  ensemble  on the Panamanian scene, Cantus Panama, will introduce not only well loved carols, but also some freshly written pieces guaranteed to tickle the fancy of  listeners.

Stars of Opera Panama  will present solos, duets and quartets, before  Coro Redencion appears for the final performance and, joined by the other groups, the grand finale.

It will be an evening to remember for all the family, so don’t be left standing, but  if you are, be sure to get your souvenir LED candle,  and be part of the action. Candles  come in two sizes  for a donation  of $5 or $10.

Carols by Candlelight takes place in Plaza De Francia Casco Viejo, on Saturday December  5 carolspanama@gmail.com . Orders of $25 dollars or more, tickets and/or candles, will be delivered to homes or businesses in Panama.