Handel’s Messiah with Victoria Symphony

Performances
Friday, December 11, 2026 – 7:30pm
Saturday, December 12, 2026 – 7:30pm
Sunday, December 13, 2026 – 2:30pm
Christ Church Cathedral

Soloists
Sarah Dufresne, Soprano
Georgia Burashko, Mezzo-Soprano
James Reese, Tenor
Sumner Thompson, Baritone

Victoria Choral Society – Brian Wismath, Artistic Director
Christ Church Cathedral Young Choristers

Tickets
Tickets will be available to purchase starting July 21 here.

Description
Handel’s Messiah

“Hallelujah!” In 1741, Handel composed his great oratorio Messiah in just three weeks, and its message of hope and redemption has echoed ever since. Victoria’s magnificent Christ Church Cathedral glows with candlelight as the VS, Victoria Choral Society, Christ Church Cathedral Young Choristers, and four outstanding soloists bring this timeless story to life —a tradition that has sold out two years in a row!

Location & Parking 
Please see Christ Church Cathedral’s website for more information.

Concert #2 | Vaughan Williams Five Mystical Songs, and More!

Performance
Saturday, February 6th, 2027 – 2:30pm
Christ Church Cathedral

Tickets
Tickets will be available to purchase at a later date.

Description
Ola Gjeilo’s Sunrise Mass, Luminous Night of the Soul, Dark Night of the Soul
Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs
Dan Forrest Light Beyond Shadow

Location & Parking 
Please see Christ Church Cathedral’s website for more information.

Concert #3 | Coleridge’s Requiem and More with Members of the Victoria Symphony

Performance
Saturday, May 15th, 2027 – 2:30pm
Christ Church Cathedral

Tickets
Tickets will be available to purchase at a later date.

Description
Leonard Enns’ Taiga
Matthew Coleridge’s Requiem
Frank Ticheli’s Earth Song

Location & Parking 
Please see Christ Church Cathedral’s website for more information.

RENEWAL | Brahms’ Requiem with Members of the Victoria Symphony

Performance
Sunday, May 24th, 2026 – 2:30pm, Pre-concert talk at 1:30pm
UVic Farquhar Auditorium

Soloists
Jennifer Turner, Soprano
Nathan McDonald, Baritone

Tickets
Tickets are available to purchase here.

Description
Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45

We close the season with Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, joined by soloists Jennifer Turner (soprano) and Nathan McDonald (baritone). This concert, themed Renewal, will also feature a recently composed work, Marble of the West, by Iranian-Canadian composer and pianist Iman Habibi, addressing the impact of environmental change—a powerful pairing to end the season.

Pre-Concert Talk from 1:30pm-2pm
Join Iman Habibi (composer), Jon O’Riordan (Gail O’Riordan Climate and the Arts Legacy Fund), Jacques Sirois (Greater Victoria NatureHood), and Brian Wismath (VCS Artistic Director), for a 30-minute pre-concert talk exploring Habibi’s Marble of the West. This discussion will delve into the impact of deforestation on the marbled murrelet, alongside broader themes of migration and displacement that shape the work.

Location & Parking 
Please see UVic’s website for more information.

Grieg’s Peer Gynt with the Victoria Symphony

Performance:
Sunday, February 1st, 2026 – 2:30pm
UVic Farquhar Auditorium

Tickets:
Tickets are no longer available as this concert is now sold out!

Description:
We return to the stage with the Victoria Symphony and Maestro Christian Kluxen for a dynamic adaptation of Grieg’s Peer Gynt, featuring orchestra, soloists, narrator, and choir.

Location & Parking:
Please see UVic’s website for more information.

RESILIENCE | Choir & Organ

Performance:
Saturday, November 8th, 2025 – 2:30pm
Christ Church Cathedral

Mark McDonald, Organist

Tickets:
Tickets are available to purchase here.

Description:
Music for Choir and Organ
This concert will feature the Cathedral’s Assistant Director of Music and organ virtuoso, as part of the Cathedral’s 2025 Year of the Organ celebration. The program includes both beloved classics and hidden gems. Works with solo passages will feature members of the VCS Choral Scholars program.
Repertoire includes:
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (Bach), Cantique de Jean Racine (Fauré), Magnificat (MacMillan), Hear My Prayer (Mendelssohn), I Was Glad (Parry), Dona Nobis Pacem (Vasks), and more.

Location & Parking:
Please see Christ Church Cathedral’s website for more information.