Since 2003, Daniel Lapp has been performing an annual Christmas concert in Victoria, but, somehow, this year is the first I’ve heard of it. The Royal Theatre, built in 1912, is a charming slice of history, with a stylish, elegant look that’s timeless and endearing—it seems appropriate, then, that Lapp chose this location for Home for Christmas, now in its 22nd year, on December 18 and 19. The concert, presented by the Victoria Conservatory of Music, brings over 150 local performers, ranging from orchestras to choirs, together.
Lapp, a fiddler, jazz trumpeter, composer, and vocalist, has been active in the music industry for over 40 years, and Home for Christmas is one of the ways he shares his love of music with the community. It really shows in how cozy and casual the performance is, with his presentation being mostly ad libbed and unscripted, candidly rolling with the little flaws and errors that come with organizing dozens of musicians and performers of all ages and skill levels to perform in front of a live audience.
The whole thing had a heartwarming, off-the-cuff vibe, and the “it doesn’t need to be perfect to be fun” philosophy made the concert feel more like a pub show in a small Irish town, with Lapp entreating the audience to sing along and clap to the beat of songs. There’s something magical about the gathering of a couple hundred audience members who are all singing Christmas carols they’ve known since childhood, and achieving a remarkable level of continuity and harmony doing so. The air was literally vibrating with the resonance of joy and community, and that was wonderful to see.
In addition to the music, there was also a narration of “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” narrated by journalist Gregor Craigie—who also was the MC for the night—with live sound effects provided by a host of adorable primary school children.
With so much of modern life being centred around bustling about the city and maintaining a strict level of depersonalization to the many nameless city-dwellers surrounding us, it’s nice to find an event that can bring people together in a way that no sterile, polished production ever could.
I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas with their families and shared a smile with a random stranger.