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Christmas concerts are one of the most comforting rituals of the season.
Parents and grandparents clutch programs like keepsakes. Kids peek out of dressing rooms or from behind curtains, smoothing their clothes, whispering to friends, trying to remember the opening notes.
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It’s a yearly moment when nerves turn to pride, and when a shy wave from the stage can feel like the greatest gift of all.
This year in Saskatoon, that magic is building inside Grosvenor Park United Church, where the all-abilities choir Kids of Note is preparing for its annual Christmas performance.
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For many families, this concert has become its own holiday tradition — one filled with the unmistakable glow of seeing their beloved performers shine.
This group of singers consists of two choirs, Kids of Note and The Notations. Kids of Note welcomes kids from seven to 15, while the Notations is for teens and young adults 16 and over. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
A stage for every voice
Brenda Baker, founding director of the choir, has been watching this seasonal magic unfold for 21 years.
“Kids of Note is a choir for people of all abilities,” she explained. “About half of our members have an intellectual disability… and our older choir, the Notations, is a similar mix.”
The spark of inspiration to start this diverse musical community came from a deeply personal place for Baker.
“My husband and myself had a daughter with Down syndrome,” she said. “I soon learned it was going to be a real challenge to have our daughter participate in the kinds of things I took for granted as a young singer.”
Brenda Baker was inspired to start an all-abilities choir after welcoming her daughter, Tori, who was born with Down syndrome. She passed away just shy of her fifth birthday. Baker says this choir is Tori Lorranne Slade’s legacy. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
Baker and Dee Cole, a fellow parent of a child with Down syndrome, began imagining a choir where every singer could be supported and successful.
They started experimenting with ways to adapt traditional choir methods: breaking songs into small, manageable sections, using visual cues and hand gestures and rehearsing at a pace that worked for each child.
The first rehearsals were small and informal, sometimes just a handful of families, but the joy was unmistakable.
Baker recalls the excitement of seeing children, both with and without disabilities, learn to sing together, support one another and build confidence.
“What we were doing for those kids worked well for the kids who are typical, too,” she said proudly. “Everybody wins.”
Becoming stars
In rehearsals leading up to the concert, the church is alive with small, heartwarming scenes: children practicing their hand actions; a teen humming their harmony line; young adults in the Notations encouraging one another.
Baker watches these moments accumulate like ornaments on a tree.
“Every person I’ve seen come through this choir grows in one way or another,” she said. “If they’re non-verbal, maybe it’s getting onstage and being the star of a song with their actions. The kids who are verbal become more comfortable singing in front of a large audience and sometimes doing solos.”
The annual show weaves Christmas songs with spoken emcee parts, giving singers another moment to step forward with confidence.
Some kids may get nervous before a big show, but not Nina! “I am a star,” she exclaimed proudly. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
For the young performers, the concert doesn’t just feel festive — it feels empowering.
Nina, an enthusiastic member of the choir, lights up when asked about her favourite part of choir rehearsal. “Singing with Brenda,” she said without hesitation. “I feel brave. I am a star!”
Noah, now in his fifth year with Kids of Note, joined after seeing the choir online with his mom.
“We thought this would be a fun opportunity to do something that I enjoy,” he said. “It’s really fun to get up there and have everybody cheering for you and supporting you.”
Noah is in his fifth year with Kids of Note. He said he is proud to sing alongside his friends who have disabilities. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
He’s proud of the diversity of abilities of his peers on stage. “It’s fun to see how different people have different skill levels with where they’re at,” he said with a smile.
From the Notations, Jen summed up her Christmas wish with clarity and confidence: “I want my voice to be heard all over the world.”
A spotlight on joy
For the families watching from the audience, what happens on that stage goes deeper than festive entertainment.
Baker remembers one particular rehearsal, sitting beside the mother of a boy who struggled to speak. She had given him a solo.
“His mother started to cry,” she reflected, “because she had never seen her son in the limelight before… doing something he really loved, and doing it well.”
“He didn’t need to speak,” she shared, her voice catching. “He could sing.”
The choir rehearses in Grosvenor Park United Church, the same beautiful space that will host their Christmas concert on Sunday. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
Moments like that are part of why this concert has become a beloved community event.
The one-hour performance offers what Christmas is all about: connection, courage, togetherness, joy.
On Nov. 30, when the lights dim and the first notes rise, Kids of Note will carry those feelings onto the stage.
And everyone in the audience — parents, grandparents, neighbours, strangers — will share in the glow.
What You Should Know about the Kids of Note Christmas Concert – A Kid at Christmas
- Date & Time: Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, at 2:30 p.m.
- Location: Grosvenor Park United Church, Saskatoon
- Tickets: $15 and can be purchased through Eventbrite. Ages four and under free.
Some of the performers in Kids of Note have disabilities. Others don’t. But every single one of them has a shared passion: music. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
