Christmas with Chor Leoni brings people together
New choir member Jayson Cervantes has found a home with the renowned ensemble about to mount its seasonal concert
Jayson Cervantes. Photo by Emily Cooper
Chor Leoni presents Christmas with Chor Leoni from December 19 to 21 at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church
VANCOUVER’S JAYSON CERVANTES started singing in choirs when he was in high school in his native Manila, Philippines, first at his local parish. Six years later, in 2013, he was invited to audition for a group called Bukas Palad Music Ministry, which takes its name from a term meaning “open palm”.
A major presence in the country’s music scene, the group has been composing, recording, and performing original Filipino religious and inspirational music since 1986. Cervantes’s time with the organization only further cemented his passion for singing.
“It moves me,” he says in a phone interview with Stir. “It really helps in different aspects of my life—when I’m happy or when I’m sad. It’s been a big part of my life and my coping as well, my mental health. Uprooting myself and leaving my friends behind for Vancouver, I would always have a portable speaker with me and would play music on Spotify and sing along. It calms me.”
Cervantes moved to B.C. in 2022 to be closer to his sister and mother, who live on Vancouver Island. He spent some time in Duncan before moving to Vancouver, where he now works in the health-care system. Upon coming to the mainland, he began doing Google searches for local choirs, and he stumbled on the website of Chor Leoni. He liked what he read, especially these lines: “Music brings us together. The singers of Chor Leoni are brought together by common vulnerability and sensitivity to the music.” He got up the gumption to reach out to artistic director Erick Lichte and soon landed an audition. He was accepted and has been with the ensemble ever since.
“It’s been amazing,” Cervantes says. “When I first discovered them I listened to all their recordings on Spotify and watched all their YouTube videos. I thought it was going to be a long shot, and when I got in, I was really humbled by that experience. Attending the first rehearsal, everyone was so nice and so friendly and everyone is very professional. I remember our first song together and hearing them singing it—knowing I’m with them really humbles me. I still can’t believe it. I’m amazed by the sound of the whole group as one.”
Cervantes is getting excited about the group’s upcoming seasonal concert, Christmas with Chor Leoni, taking place December 19 to 21 at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church.
“I’m a sucker for Christmas,” Cervantes says. “I’m a December boy. December has been really my happiest month of the year. It’s the busiest month for choirs. In trying to build my new life here in this new country while I was attending the rehearsals to prepare for the Christmas concert—it brings back old feelings of excitement. There are several traditional and festive carols as well as new songs that I’m starting to love already.”
Erick Lichte. Photo by David Cooper
Lichte says that Christmas with Chor Leoni this year is especially focused on presenting luminous versions of carols everyone knows. The list of songs is one most people will recognize; think “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”, “Angels We Have Heard on High”, and “Silent Night”. “But I have scoured the repertoire to find arrangements which will set the voices of Chor Leoni soaring as well as give new insight into these timeless tunes,” Lichte tells Stir.
“Our vision for Christmas with Chor Leoni is to create a place where ancient, familiar, and new carols can bring us into the emotional space of the holiday season,” the artistic director adds. “Whether it’s the sparkle of a shiny Christmas chestnut or a reinvention of a beloved yuletide song, these events are here to evoke a sense of peace and joy—one shared with the choir and with all who attend.”
Joining the choir has not only given Cervantes an outlet for his voice, it has also helped him build and foster community in a city that has a reputation for being a hard place to meet new people.
“Being part of Chor Leoni is one of the blessings that I could get by living here in Vancouver,” Cervantes says. “Being with the choir has really helped me build my support group and know more people.
“I’m thankful for being part of the group that shares the same passion for music,” he says. “I’m amazed by their commitment and dedication to putting their talents into producing an amazing sound. No wonder they have strong followers through the years. Every concert is jam-packed, and I think the reason is that when we’re onstage the magic begins. When we sing as one we are moved by the spirit to produce the beautiful sound of Chor Leoni.” 
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