11th day of Christmas

The West Coast Mennonite Chamber Choir might be a favourite of mine for sentimental reasons, but that does not diminish the fact that they were a very fine choir. The choir (sadly, which seems to have ended) was made up of Mennonites who like to sing- skilled amateur singers who freely donated their time and talent. From 1991 until 2004, the group would get together about once a year, rehearse a few times, record a CD and sing one concert to launch their CD. That was it. 

The choir donated all of their proceeds (more than $700,000) to Communitas Supportive Care Services, a non-profit society in Abbotsford that provides services, resources, and advocacy for people living with mental, physical and/or emotional disabilities.  I love that this group made glorious choral music but more importantly, that they used their voices to help people who have none. 

Nun ist sie Erschienen (The Sun has Arisen) is a Russian Mennonite Christmas Hymn that 
I particularly love. Whenever I hear it (or an arrangement of it, as in this recording),
I am transported back to one of my earliest chidhood memories- Christmas 1979 in Waldheim, SK, 
sitting in church next to my Grandma. I can still hear her singing this hymn, in German.