Bringing Joy to Christmas

It will be his second time reading at the Shallaway holiday concert, but actor Robert Joy said he hopes this time he will be able to finish his performance.

Two years ago, Joy - a Newfoundlander, who plays the character of Dr. Sid Hammerback on the series CSI: New York - was about half way through his reading of "A Child's Christmas in Wales" by Dylan Thomas when the power went out.

"We all kind of wanted to keep going, by candlelight and that, but the fire marshall wouldn't let us," Joy told The Telegram Wednesday.

"That first time was so magical for me, I mean it's always something you want to reproduce if you possibly could."

Joy said he was struck by the text and feels that it "casts a spell," affecting the audience by calling forward heightened emotions that are effective with the choral work of Shallaway: Newfoundland and Labrador Youth in Chorus.

"The book is divided into sections and those sections are interspersed with the music the choir performs," Joy said.

Executive director of Shallaway Kathryn Atkin said the choral performances will be a mixture of traditional songs and well-known carols.

"We have audience participation with some of the carols and then there are some carols that are not so well known for which we have choral arrangements," Atkin said.

She said this will be the 11th year for the Shallaway holiday event. This year's event, "At the Rim of the Carol-Singing Sea," will take place on Dec. 5 and Dec. 6 at Cochrane Street United Church.

Joy said he will have to fly out the very next day, on Dec. 7, to return to the set of CSI: NY as the show will not break for the holidays until Dec. 19.

In addition to his reading for Shallaway, the actor was in the province this summer and taped an episode of the upcoming CBC television series "Republic of Doyle." That series is set to premiere in early January.

afitzpatrick@thetelegram.com