Christmas with Marina Prior at Astor Theatre December 14

ALL five of soprano Marina Prior’s children have been on the Christmas Eve Carols by Candlelight stage with her – before they were born.

Prior has become a stalwart of the annual tradition, making her debut at the Channel 9 televised Melbourne event in 1989 and only missing two years since then; the first when she was away in 1989 and the second in Christmas 1996 when she had a newborn and was living in Sydney.

“I didn’t travel down that Christmas so watched it on TV and it was so weird,” Prior said.

“It felt wrong and I decided I couldn’t miss it again because it felt too strange, baby or no baby.

“My kids have grown up going to Carols by Candlelight every year so it’s kind of part of the fabric of our lives.

“It’s such a feel-good event where everyone is focusing on humanity, compassion and generosity, which is a lovely antidote in the world at that moment.

“There’s so much cynicism and anger that it’s nice to have an event where people are genuinely positive and happy in that moment.”

Prior is channelling her festive enthusiasm in to her concert Christmas with Marina Prior at Astor Theatre on December 14.

She said the performance would include classic Christmas songs and other uplifting classical crossovers like You Raise Me Up and The Prayer.

“I do a lot of Christmas shows at this time of year but to do my own, to be able to craft the shape of it and the songs I’m going to sing, really appeals to me,” she said.

Also appealing is the way Prior is planning to spend her Christmas day.

“We have a laidback family brunch and then on Christmas night, a lot of friends and extended family,who have done the family thing during the day, come round to our place where we all eat leftovers and have a big musical jam,” she said.

“I do lots of cooking in the days leading up to Carols by Candlelight. I’ll be glazing ham for days.”

THE ESSENTIALS

What: Christmas with Marina Prior

Where: Astor Theatre

When: December 14

Tickets: www.ticketek.com.au