When I was in elementary school, choir was a mandatory class. My music teacher often brought her pet ferrets to school where they loved sitting on the piano. Now that I look back, she had us youngsters singing tunes that children really shouldn’t have been singing like the score to Cabaret and A Chorus Line. In early adulthood, I joined a chorus (of my own volition) made up of young professionals. We met on our Friday lunch hours in an unused office building on the 16th Street (then-called) Mall. It was a blast, especially when we got to perform at The Paramount Theater (the one time that will happen in my life). At both times in my life, I loved the feeling of singing with a group – that collective buzz that came from hitting the right notes together and the beauty of the harmonies. I remembered those feelings when I heard The Colorado Choir for the first time. They are celebrating 51 years, which is incredible. And their sound? It’s elevating and swirls throughout the audience, bringing us all along! Learn about your upcoming opportunities to hear them for yourself.
Although the official start of the holiday season is still weeks away, The Colorado Choir is busy rehearsing for its upcoming Christmas concert. Its 51 st season opener will feature a wide variety of seasonal songs, an audience
sing-along of well-known carols, and a rousing rendition of Handel’s “Halleluia Chorus” as a finale.
Performances of “A Colorado Choir Christmas” are slated for Friday, Dec. 4 and Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, at Augustana Lutheran Church, located at 5000 E. Alameda Ave. in Denver.
Conductor and Artistic Director Kelly Parmenter’s desire to highlight different cultural perspectives of the Christmas story is reflected in her song selections. They include “Mexican Christmas Procession;” a chorus from “Amahl and the Night Visitors;” “Patapan,” a traditional French carol; and more.
The 57-voice choir is known for its a cappella virtuosity as well as its ability to achieve both rafter-raising fortes and the softest of pianissimos with equal ease.
Parmenter credits the singers’ ability to tap into to each song’s meaning for the choir’s powerful and nuanced musical interpretations. “As conductor, it’s my job to help choir members discover each composer’s original intent,” Parmenter said. “It’s when we internalize and embrace that message that it can be expressed so beautifully to our audience.”
Dr. Gregory Gentry, former Director of Choirs at the University of Colorado Boulder, has decades of choral conducting experience, and has been Parmenter’s colleague since the 1990s. He notes that she and the choir members share a great reverence for singing. “Kelly’s intentionality in choosing each musical selection results in a repertoire that meets the qualifications of being great music, whether the pieces be old or new,” Dr. Gentry said. “Those looking for a high-quality, well-rehearsed choral production featuring mature voices will find it
in The Colorado Choir.”
Advance concert ticket pricing is $25 for adults; $20 for seniors, students and military; and $10 for the livestream. For more information, visit thecoloradochoir.org.
BONUS: There’s a free benefit concert Nov. 14, 2pm at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church. The concert’s free but they encourage a donation of $10 plus a non-perishable food item for locals in need. Visit the website for details.
-By Elizabeth Roberts
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