For the past two decades, Coquitlam's Barry and Merle Rector have sung a holiday classic with the Vancouver Bach Choir (VBC).
This year is no exception.
On Saturday, the tenor and alto will perform The Messiah with the 130-voice symphonic group. "I look forward to it every year," Barry said. "It's a fixture for Christmas, just like Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.
"It's part of the preparation for Christmas for people around the world."
Barry said the first time he heard Handel's 1741 oratorio and its famous Hallelujah chorus, "I thought the place was on fire because everybody got out of their seats," he recalled.
Barry said he's also fond of the piece's trumpet sections in the second half. The Messiah "is one of the chestnuts of our repertoire," he said. "When you see it live, it's quite a spectacle."
Barry has also sung with the Vancouver Opera Chorus and St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church in Vancouver, where he met Merle.
Tickets to Saturday's VBC performance at 8 p.m. at the Orpheum are available by calling 604-696-4290.
