The sounds of music are ringing through the halls of Douglas College these days - and you can enjoy the fruits of all that rehearsing at a number of upcoming concerts.
On Wednesday, Nov. 26, you can enjoy music for winds, brass and percussion. The free concert features the Douglas College Concert Band, directed by John van Deursen, and the Douglas College Percussion Ensemble, directed by Robert Caldwell.
On Friday, Nov. 28, it's Douglas College Choirs in Concert, with Eric Hannan conducting the Douglas College Chorus and Chorale in a program that features Mozart's Missa Brevis in F, Bach's Cantata No. 150 and shorter pieces by Mendelssohn and Guastavino. Tickets are $15 regular, or $10 for seniors.
On Saturday, Nov. 29, everyone is invited to enjoy a free student composition concert, featuring newly composed works by music students.
On Monday, Dec. 1, it's An Evening of Jazz, featuring the Douglas College Night Band, directed by Blair Fisher, and the Douglas College Dues Band, directed by van Deursen. That concert is also free.
All the concerts are set for 7:30 p.m. in the Laura C. Muir Performing Arts Theatre, on the fourth floor north in the college's New West campus at 700 Royal Ave.
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Art lovers won't want to miss the next exhibition in the Community Art Space at the Anvil Centre.
The Arts Council of New Westminster is presenting Cover Story: Album Art Reimagined.
The exhibition runs until Jan. 16, and an opening reception is set for Thursday, Nov. 27 from 5 to 7 p.m.
The group exhibition shows what happens when you give local artists free rein to explore reimagined fake album covers using provided band names and album titles as prompts.
"The work reflects the visual themes often explored in music design, reminiscent of 1970s rock, folk music, classical and pop music genres," a press release says. "The albums are all standard music record size, appear familiar, as the artists used images often associated with popular cover designs. But on a closer look, they are all reimagined, an appropriated take on a popular cultural phenomenon."
You can check out all the fun at the new Anvil Centre, 777 Columbia St. - admission is free. Call 604-527-4640 or see www.anvilcentre.ca for all the details.
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If you write for children, don't forget about this one from the Royal City Literary Arts Society.
Max Tell leads a regular Writing for Kidz group every other Monday morning at Renaissance Books in downtown New West.
The sessions run from 10 a.m. to noon, with a drop-in fee of $5 at the door that includes refreshments.
The group is designed for adult writers in any genre related to children, and it's a chance to meet other writers, share writing and receive feedback.
The next two sessions are on Monday, Dec. 1 and Monday, Dec. 15. Renaissance Books is at 43 Sixth St.
Call 604-525-4566, email [email protected] or see www.rclas.com for more details.
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Also on the literary front, here are a few more from the Royal City Literary Arts Society:
* WordPlay: This poetry generating drop-in series meets again on Thursday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Heritage Grill, in the back room at 447 Columbia St. Guest host Elaine Woo will lead this group - which provides writing prompts to help poets generate some first drafts. Bring your own writing tools and paper.
* Short story open mike: Margo Prentice hosts this regular open mike session on the second Wednesday of each month, for people to share short stories or excerpts from books, essays or journals. Storytellers are also welcome. It runs 7 to 9 p.m. at Renaissance Books, 43 Sixth St., and the next session is on Wednesday, Dec. 10.
* The Poetry Wars: Carol Shillibeer leads this poetry study group, with once-a-month group meetings and at-home reading. The next session is on Saturday, Dec. 20 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Renaissance Books, 43 Sixth St.
See www.rclas.com for information on any of the society's events.
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'Tis the season for Christmas music - here's an upcoming concert you'll want to mark on your calendars.
Don't miss out on the popular Carols and Bells concert. The 17th edition of this annual favourite is on Sunday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. at Queens Avenue United Church, 529 Queens Ave.
Handbell ringers of all ages from Burnaby, New Westminster, Maple Ridge and Langley will take part in the concert, interspersed with the audience singing along to various carols and Christmas songs, accompanied by piano and the church's Casavant Frères pipe organ.
A special addition to the concert this year is a performance by the Los Castores Mariachi Band, composed of New Westminster Secondary students and recent grads.
Tickets are $20 regular, $15 for students and seniors or $10 for children.They're available through www.queensavenue.org or by calling the church office at 604-522-1606. You can also buy at the door.
Do you have an item for Lively City? Send ideas from the arts and entertainment scene to Julie, [email protected]. You can also find her on Twitter,@juliemaclellan.
