Yellow Door Choir celebrates 25 years

Festive bells will be ringing out at Concordia University's Oscar Peterson Hall for the choir’s gala 25th anniversary concert this Saturday night.

Singing treasured selections from programs past, the choir will celebrate 25 years of music-making in support of local, national, and international humanitarian organizations. It will pay tribute to the philanthropic spirit and cultural richness of Montreal as both a home and a window to the world.

The choir, under the direction of Eleanor Stubley, will be joined for the occasion by a cast of alumni spanning its 25-year history, with special guest appearances by (among others) basso Thomas Fox, jazz singer Karen Young, the infamous Doo-Wop Boys, The Burton Street Singers, and the choir’s founder and first director, Montreal folk composer and performer Linda Morrison.

In honour of both the tradition that is its heritage and the youth that are the key to its future, the choir will donate the evening’s proceeds to two Montreal social-service organizations: The Yellow Door and Head & Hands.

The Yellow Door is a community-service organization that, in 1983 when the choir began, provided its café as a humble but welcoming home. The choir has long since outgrown the space but fondly remembers its origins. It is only fitting that the choir sing in support of The Yellow Door’s Elderly Project, which provides social services for aged persons in downtown Montreal.

Head & Hands is another dynamic Montreal institution that shares some history with the choir. For years the youth organization has raised funds at Yellow Door Choir concerts, often by selling refreshments during intermission. The choir is delighted to sing in support of Head & Hands’ Jeunesse 2000 Drop-in Centre, which offers teenagers a secure and welcoming environment free of charge throughout the year.

For many years the choir has partnered with the Unitarian Church of Montreal, which generously assists in providing rehearsal and performance spaces for the choir. For this year’s special anniversary, though, the choir is pulling out all the stops and performing at Oscar Peterson Concert Hall. It’s bound to be a gala event in support of two worthy charities.

The concert takes place Saturday, Jan. 26 at 8 p.m. at Oscar Peterson Concert Hall, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West (Concordia University’s Loyola Campus). Tickets are $20 and will be available at the door from 7:15 p.m. For advance tickets, call 514-738-9052.