Christmas in the Chapel 2025
Tyndale’s Christmas in the Chapel returns for its 15th year on Saturday December 6, with exciting matinee and evening concerts. We are delighted to present the Tyndale Community Choir and the TCC Band, directed by Dr. Melissa Davis.
Covenant Award-winning recording artist Saj McKenley joins Christmas in the Chapel as our special artist this year, a long-time favourite artist at Tyndale concerts.
This annual benefit concert supports Tyndale students directly through providing much-needed scholarships and bursaries. The majority of Tyndale’s students need your support. With your help, we can ease their financial burden. You can help students go on to engage culture wherever they find themselves and bring hope to a world that desperately needs it.
Experience the hope and renewal that this season brings to the world as we lift up our voices in festive songs.
Date
Saturday, December 6, 2025
- Matinee 2:00 - 4:00 pm
- Evening 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Tickets
Early bird (Before Nov 1)
- Matinee: $40
- Evening $50
Regular (After Nov 1)
- Matinee: $50
- Evening $60
More info
416-226-6620 ext. 6720 | events@tyndale.ca
The Tyndale Community Choir
The Tyndale Community Choir (TCC) was founded in 2016 by Dr. Melissa Davis with a desire to unite Christian singers of various generations, cultures, and denominations throughout the Greater Toronto Area.
This dynamic 50-member multigenerational, multicultural, multidenominational mass choir brings together Tyndale students, faculty, staff, and community members to serve Toronto's diverse population in music. Singing in concerts throughout the GTA, city-wide community events, worship services, and university functions, the choir continues to spread the message of hope in Jesus to all people.
Tyndale Community Choir Band
Toronto musicians Dr. Joy Lee, Abigail Ali (BA 2021) and Wayne Thompson form the Tyndale Community Choir Band.
Each expressing unique gifting and a wealth of experience in music ministry, this gifted trio unites as a vibrant part of the TCC family.
Featured Artist
Saj McKenley is a Toronto-born recording artist whose rich vocals and soul-stirring songwriting have made a lasting mark on Canada’s gospel and inspirational music landscape. Raised in a musically vibrant household, his father a downtown record store owner, Saj was immersed in a diverse soundscape from an early age, sparking a lifelong passion for music.
His debut album Life, earned critical acclaim and industry recognition, receiving five nominations at the Canadian Covenant Awards. Saj won Urban Song of the Year for “’Tis So Sweet” and Contemporary Gospel Song of the Year for “No Way”, a rare double win that affirmed his voice as a standout in the genre. His follow-up project, Seasons of Love, a Christmas album, further showcased his versatility and emotional depth.
Saj’s music has reached audiences across television, radio, and live performance platforms. He has performed on the nationally televised program 100 Huntley Street and was featured in a promotional spot on CP24, expanding his reach to broader audiences. His songs have been featured on major radio stations including JOY 1250 AM, CHRI 99.1 FM and WBLK 93.7 FM, bringing his sound to listeners across Canada and the U.S.
Beyond the mic, Saj is a dynamic worship leader and performer, frequently lending his voice to churches across Toronto and captivating audiences at private and corporate events. His collaborative spirit and commitment to musical excellence continue to inspire listeners and fellow artists alike.
Dr. Melissa Davis
Canadian Mezzo Soprano Melissa Davis is an active concert soloist, vocal professor, choral director, vocal clinician and worship leader.
Awarded the distinguished Krannert Debut Artist Award by the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Illinois, Ms. Davis has guest soloed with Grammy and Juno-award-winning choirs and orchestras throughout North America including the Buffalo Philharmonic and Thunder Bay Symphony orchestras. She has toured internationally singing in concerts and productions in France, the UK, the Caribbean, the United States, and throughout Canada. Earning a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree from the University of Illinois, Dr. Davis has served as Director of the Music Department at Tyndale University, Professor of Voice at the University of Arkansas, and is currently Assistant Professor and Head of Vocal Performance at York University.
In 2015, Ms. Davis released her live solo debut album, City Called Heaven: An Evening of Songs and Spirituals, and in 2016, she became Founder, Artistic Director, and conductor of the 50-member Tyndale Community Choir, uniting Christian singers throughout the GTA. Dr. Davis has been vocal director of several theatre productions throughout North America and continues to receive numerous invitations to give vocal clinics, masterclasses, and lectures at national and international conferences.
Dedicated to the ministry of the Gospel through music, as a worship leader she continues to craft worship services that speak to multiethnic, multigenerational congregations.
Dr. Joy Lee
Dr. Joy Lee is an accomplished Canadian pianist with a vibrant career as a collaborative pianist, teacher, voice coach, soloist, and adjudicator. Driven by her passion for music and education, she has performed at prestigious events, including the Canadian Embassy in Washington D.C. during President Barack Obama's inauguration celebration, the Banff Centre for the Arts, and venues across Canada’s Northwest Territories.
Dr. Lee holds a Bachelor and Master of Music in solo piano from the University of Toronto. Her love for vocal literature led her to earn a second Master’s in Collaborative Piano Studies at the University of Michigan and a Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Toronto.
As an Assistant Professor of Music and Worship Arts at Tyndale University, Dr. Lee inspires the next generation of musicians. A sought-after adjudicator, she has adjudicated competitions such as the OMFA Provincial Finals, Sudbury Music Festival, Toronto Kiwanis Festival, and the 2025 Peel Music Festival and ORMTA Eastern Zone competition.
Recognized for her artistry and exceptional collaborative skills, Dr. Lee was honored with the prestigious 2018 Gwendolyn Williams Koldofsky Prize. In 2017, she and soprano Maeve Palmer earned second prize at the renowned Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition, showcasing their outstanding partnership. In 2023, she made her Carnegie Hall debut as part of the Canada at Carnegie series and, alongside soprano Stéphanie McKay-Turgeon, was invited to perform works by French composer Henri Dutilleux at Maison Dutilleux-Joy in Candes-Saint-Martin, France.
Dr. Lee has served on the faculty of the University of Toronto Choral Conducting Symposium and collaborates with ensembles including the Amadeus Choir of Greater Toronto, MacMillan Singers, Tyndale Singers and Tyndale Community Choir. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the North Toronto Songbirds, fostering community connections through the arts.
Music at Tyndale
Music is an essential part of the Tyndale university community. The innovative BA in Music Performance and BA in Music Worship Arts degrees offer outstanding music education where students are equipped with the skills and tools needed to succeed in performance, worship leadership, and music ministry. And, students at Tyndale are formed in Christian community to pursue excellence for the glory of God.
With a diverse faculty of professional musicians, students explore their gifting and refine their craft in music performance and develop as worshipers and worship leaders. Music students take a wide range of courses that cover music foundations, applied studies, music and worship methodologies, receive mentorship, and have performance and ministry opportunities throughout their degree.
Programs
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BA Music, Performance Stream
An exceptional program for students pursuing careers as solo artists.
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BA Music, Worship Arts Stream
A holistic program for students pursuing careers in music ministry.