Ken Lavigne is coming to Parksville to get the audience into the spirit of Christmas on Dec. 4. He’s looking forward to singing a few classic holiday tunes like ‘Jingle Bells’ and ‘White Christmas’ when he performs with his ensemble at Knox United Church. “I have some songs that are really special to me like ‘O Holy Night’, ‘Ave Maria’, these are songs that really tap into my classical singing chops,” Lavigne said. “We have a lot of fun.” He will be joined by a musical ensemble that includes a piano, double bass, violin and percussion, and he’s even considering a re-visitation of ‘Santa Baby’, the classic song made famous by Eartha Kitt. The Christmas season has always been a special and meaningful time for Lavigne. “With Christmas music, there’s such a sense of joy and light that can be really affecting for people,” he said. “And of course there’s so much nostalgia that’s sort of built into it.” He might be best known for being a founding member of the Canadian Tenors, and toured with them for several years. Lavigne also made one of his dreams come true when he performed with the New York Pops Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. Lavigne has always loved to sing, but he didn’t consider studying it for his career until he received a recommendation from his choir teacher as he was heading into his university years. That education opened his eyes to world of classical music and once he’d heard the voice of Luciano Pavarotti, he knew what he wanted to do. He is looking forward to returning to Parksville. “I absolutely love the space. Knox United is an incredible performance place, they just have so much going on and the audience is always warm and they’re always up for a good time.” Lavigne added that his Christmas shows always include a fun surprise that has become a tradition over the years, and although it’s “top secret”, anyone who has been there will remember. The concert starts at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $45 and are available online through Eventbrite [https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/knox-presentsa-ken-lavigne-christmas-tickets-1825276684699] and with cash at local retailers Close to You Boutique, Edge Outdoors and Fireside Books.
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