First some late calls for November:

• The Early Music folks at UoT are doing Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas at Trinity St. Paul’s on the 21st and 22nd.
• November 22nd and 23rd there’s a 20th anniversary concert for Autorickshaw at Heliconian Hall presented by Confluence Concerts.
• Amici Chamber Ensemble have an afternoon concert on the 26th at Trinity St. Paul’s called The Winds of Time featuring chamber music for wind instruments from the 18th to 21st centuries.

And so to December proper.  In the music world I’m looking at:

• First up, on the 3rd, Opera Revue’s Ruckus at the Revival: The Parody Edition.  Lots of guest artists but I’m guessing Doug Ford and the TTC brass will not be there.
• At noon on the 5th in the RBA, the COC Ensemble Studio will perform vocal works by COC Composer-in-Residence, Cecilia Livingston.
• Toronto Mendelssohn Choir have their annual Festival of Carols on the 5th and 6th at Yorkminster Baptist.
• The Ensemble Studio is back on the 14th with a programme of “beloved” winter music.  Chestnuts roasting on an open fire no doubt.
• Art of Time Ensemble have a farewell holiday concert at Harbourfront Centre on the 7th to 9th featuring an eclectic selection of seasonal music.
• On the 10th, at Rosedale Presbyterian, Danielle MacMillan and Aviva Fortunata are giving a recital of classical Christmas music.
• The 14th is also opening night for Soundstreams’ Electric Messiah which runs until the 17th at Theatre Passe Muraille.  Adam Scime, as ever, is in charge but this year no dancer or turntablist, just some rather good singers and a very interesting looking ensemble.
• There are all the usual Messiahs and then some.  At the TSO it’s the 17th to the 23rd with a mostly Canadian line up of soloists and Jane Glover conducting.  Tafelmusik are at Koerner from the 14th to the 16th with the Singalong version on the 17th.  Nothing out of the ordinary here except perhaps countertenor Cameron Shahbazi as the alto soloist.  There’s also a one-off performance at St. James Cathedral on the 15th featuring the cathedral choir, soloists and other forces from UoT.
• Then after Christmas Toronto Operetta Theatre have their traditional seasonal offering.  This year it’s Lehár’s The Merry Widow with the excellent Jonelle Sills as the Lustige Lady backed up by Nathan Keoughan and Stuart Graham.  This one runs from the 29th until January 2nd in the Jane Mallet Theatre.

And in the world of legit theatre:

• Crow’s Theatre has Dave Malloy’s Pierre, Natasha and the Great Comet of 1812; a musical version of everyone’s favourite bed side reading.  Previews start December 5th with official opening on the 13th and the run going on until January 7th.  That’s a lot of shows but pretty much everything at Crow’s sells out so book early!
• Actually it’s a bit quiet though I’ll see what comes through at short notice.  Mostly so far it’s been a string of cheerful kiddy friendly holiday fare which is not so much my thing.

There are also a bunch of holiday shows to suit pretty much every taste except mine so I’ll be passing on Mrs Santa Meets the Wild irish Elves and the like.  Chacun à son gout!