For many residents of Fort Frances and the surrounding district, Christmas brings to mind specific memories of attending one of the festive holiday concerts put on by choir leader Diane Maxey and her Choraliers. While things will be a little bit different this year for a few different reasons, Maxey wants to let everyone know that two of her annual events will be going forward even as some things must change.
The first of Maxey’s two planned Christmas concerts is her annual Rainycrest Resident’s Christmas Concert, this year scheduled for Tuesday, December 6 at 1:30 p.m. in Hallett Hall. Maxey said the residents in the choir are very excited to be back singing for friends and family this year. While family members and other friends are invited and encouraged to come for the concert, the remaining COVID restrictions at the Long-Term Care home mean that visitors will require a test to enter, and masks must be worn while inside the home. COVID tests at Rainycrest are available Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Refreshments will be available to all following the concert.
The second planned event Maxey will host this Christmas season is a variation on her annual Choraliers concert. Maxey said that this year’s concert will be a scaled back version of her usual Cantata event, with the Choraliers instead performing a selection of Christmas songs on Sunday, December 11, 2022 at the New Beginnings Church. There will be a freewill offering.
The Choraliers event will also see a change to its regularly scheduled time, running at 2:00 p.m. this year instead of its usual time. Like the Rainycrest concert, refreshments will follow the Choraliers show.
Maxey said she is excited that musical performances in the district have finally begun to make their comeback following the lockdowns of COVID, and she hopes that everyone in the community will feel comfortable enough to join her and her choirs for a few hours of music and getting into the Christmas spirit.
