Celebrate Christmas with eight musical women
Quartet Plus Four at Christmas, an hour-long holiday special featuring the Blue Engine String Quartet and four diverse musical guests will air on Vision TV from Wednesday to Dec. 30.
The show, shot in Halifax at St. George's Round Church, airs at 8 a.m., 4 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, at 3 p.m. on Christmas Day and at 8 a.m., 4 p.m., 9 p.m. on Dec. 29 and 1 a.m. on Dec. 30.
Guests include Gaelic singer Mary Jane Lamond, jazz/classical singer Jeri Brown, country/jazz artist Cindy Church and Acadian performer Lina Boudreau.
Blue Engine String Quartet is an all-women ensemble including Jennifer Jones, first violin, Anne Simons, second violin, Margot Aldrich, viola and Hilary Brown, cello. All are members of Symphony Nova Scotia.
The quartet is artist-in-residence for this year's St. Cecelia Concert Series and is frequently heard on CBC Radio.
The show consists of traditional Christmas carols ranging from up-tempo to quieter songs expressing the sacred nature of the holiday.
Local arranger Christopher Palmer, assistant principal bassoon with Symphony Nova Scotia created the arrangements.
The show was produced by Halifax's New Scotland Pictures, which also produced the Barra MacNeils' Celtic Christmas and has a feature on Halifax modern dance company Mocean Dance in production.
