Lovers of music, community, and celebration—whether you celebrate Christmas or not, this is a concert for you!
Getting into the holiday spirit can mean something different for everybody, but for many, music plays an important role in bringing communities and loved ones together.
This is especially true for jazz icon Laila Biali, who is thrilled to be headlining for the ‘Wintersongs and Holiday Classics’ show on December 15th at 7:30 p.m., on stage at the McPherson Playhouse.
The show is partnered with charity Santas Anonymous, and Biali will be joined by a seven-piece ensemble consisting of Jane Bunnett, Rebekah Wolkstein, Dan Fortin,
Ben Wittman, and local string musicians!
Victoria Buzz had the opportunity to speak with Biali, who is not only a multi-award winning singer-songwriter and pianist, but also a genuine soul with charisma and a clear passion for music and the season of giving.
For her, music holds deep importance in her own holiday traditions, and no matter what people celebrate, it’s the coming together that counts—a coming together where everyone can reflect on both winter happiness and a bittersweet melancholy that many people feel this time of year.
Biali also officially confirmed that the Victoria Children’s Choir will be performing with them for a few songs to add a beautiful layer of fullness to the music and really draw listeners into the tunes!
Specifically, her song Four Sundays to Christmas is one she’s particularly excited about—even calling it her “Disney holiday song.”
“There’s a bit of a whimsical, child-like spirit in it, and to me, I believe that’s what often happens to us this time of year,”
“Having the choir up there…it blends generations, and there’s a real authenticity there. We’ll have people on stage between the ages of 10 and almost 70, and that’s pretty cool.”
When asked about the rest of her setlist, she said that alongside her own music, there will be a set of familiar songs that audiences can appreciate—allowing the young and old to dive into a fresh take on the more nostalgic Christmas songs.
However, she also wanted to emphasize the inclusion of more melancholic songs as well, because the holidays aren’t a happy time for everyone.
“This is not just a holiday extravaganza,” Biali shared.
“We’re including a song by Leonard Cohen…and songs like Joni Mitchel’s River, that I would call ‘holiday adjacent’. They’re more on the meditative reflective and poignant side…because I feel like that can be a part of what people experience this time of year; it can be bittersweet.”
She said it was important to include holiday adjacent songs because it’s the inclusivity around this time of year that is important as well.
So, even those who don’t celebrate Christmas will feel welcomed and find something to relate to as well because the holidays are the time to be together no matter your background or religion.
“The idea of togetherness, as cliche as it sounds, I think it’s one of the hallmarks of the holiday season and boy, is it something the world needs right now.”
When asked about her inspiration for her new music, she gushed about Banff, Alberta and how magical the snowy mountains and coziness inside the warmth of the indoors made it almost impossible to ignore her urge to write.
“I went to Banff with a completely different agenda,” she confessed.
“There I was, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and it was so pristinely beautiful and then it would get blustery—you know, all sides of winter. I was staring out at all this from my warm hut…writing all day and night and ‘Wintersongs’ is what emerged.”
She said there’s something extra special about a white Christmas, something that she finds to be so special and wanted to emulate that in her pieces.
There are a couple of other seasonal musts that really bring her into the holiday spirit, and they’re traditions that she’ll still continue to this day.
Every year, getting a tree is a huge activity that her family does together, as well as listening to an old LP that her mom used to play when they were growing up in Vancouver. Biali said it was a crackly old record of the Vienna Boys Choir, and it’s still a holiday must.
What are your holiday traditions, Victoria?
She is beyond thrilled to bring her music to Victoria, and mentioned that it is one of her favourite places to play, even stating that Victoria was essentially where her career began to take off.
“My heart goes out to Darryl Mar and the Victoria Jazz Society…[Mar] was one of the first to scoop me up as a budding young jazz musician and get me out there and in front of audiences.”
She mentioned opening for smooth jazz legend Chris Botti in 2006 and being terrified, but his touring manager ended up approaching her after her sound check and asked her to join his band.
“I will never forget that moment, and it was in Victoria! It led to me touring with Chris, which led to me touring with Paula Cole, which led to me meeting my husband.”
Biali also gushed that Victoria is one of her favourite places to visit, not just play music, and she’s always dying to try the new restaurants in town and return to highlights.
“It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world, and audiences are always so warm and enthusiastic. I grew up in Vancouver, but the island feels like a second home because we visited so often.”
She’ll be here for two whole nights, so she’ll be able to take her time, slow down, and soak it all in—you might even see her out and about!
Tickets for the event start at $53.25 and you can purchase them here.
And, in the spirit of giving, a portion of the proceeds will go towards Santas Anonymous!
Wintersongs and Holiday Classics with Laila Biali
- Where: McPherson Playhouse, 805 Broughton Street
- When: Friday, December 15th at 7:30 p.m.
