If you’re up in Whistler for the long weekend (and lucky you if you are!), you can celebrate the nation’s anniversary in thought-provoking style. The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is making the trip up Highway 99 as well, and on Canada Day it will be performing at the Whistler Olympic Plaza with mezzo-soprano Marion Newman (shown here). Bramwell Tovey has written a cycle of songs called Ancestral Voices for the indigenous singer, and they explore First Nations themes, from their close ties to the untouched nature of precolonized Canada to the scourge of residential schools. Look for other treats, like Bizet’s Carmen Suite and a certain anthem by a certain Lavallé. The ensemble plays the same picturesque spot the next day as well, with a program featuring Brahms, Vaughan Williams, and Dvorak.