Saturday, December 14, 7:30 — Waitsfield United Church of Christ. The Mad River Chorale, under the direction of Mary Jane Austen and including many of our musicians. A Holiday Concert will feature J.S. Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio Part 1” in English that celebrates the birth of Jesus. We will be accompanied by rich instrumentation: a string quintet, two oboes, two flutes, three trumpets and timpani!
We continue to make use of these instruments with Holst’s “Christmas Day” (a medley of familiar Christmas Carols), and Edward Elgar’s “The Snow” with words by his wife, C. Alice Elgar. We will sing a cappella Anton Bruckner’s “Ave Maria” and two traditional carols arranged by Robert Shaw and Alice Parker, “My Dancing Day” and “Masters in This Hall”.
All present will be invited to join the chorus in singing Christmas carols ~ and of course the Hallelujah Chorus ~ accompanied by trumpet and timpani. It will be glorious! Please come and be uplifted!
Saturday, December 14, 4 pm — Waterbury Congregational Church. A Santa Lucia Service of Light featuring the children of the church school.
Sunday, December 15, 4 pm — Waterbury Congregational Church. The Mad River Chorale’s second performance of A Holiday Concert. (See above.)
Saturday, December 21, 7:30 pm — Waterbury Congregational Church. Ring in the season with Solaris Vocal Ensemble as they present, A Joyful Sound, featuring guest artists Northern Bronze Handbell Ensemble. The concert will feature festive holiday selections for voices and instruments.
Solaris is delighted to welcome the Northern Bronze Handbell Ensemble with their five octaves of handbells as our guest artists! The concert opens with a dazzling new arrangement of Joy to the World by Solaris’ own Composer-in-Residence, James Stewart. A delightful array of songs of Christmas and Hanukkah by Eleanor Daley, Andre Thomas, Dan Forrest, Neil Ginsberg, Elaine Hagenberg, Alice Parker and Robert Shaw with a variety of wind, string and percussion instruments will reflect the joyous sounds of the season.
Please consider purchasing your tickets in advance at https://sevendaystickets.com/organizations/solaris-vocal-ensemble
Saturday, December 21, 7:30 pm –Unitarian Church of Montpelier, Onion River Chorus presents a winter concert. The program will consist of two pieces by Randall Thompson, Frostiana and Alleluia, settings of the hymn Ave maras stella by Grieg, Josquin and Monteverdi and three pieces by the contemporary Latvian composter Eriks Esenvalds.
Sunday, December 22, 4 pm — College Street Congregational Church – 265 College St., Burlington. The repeat performance by the Solaris Vocal Ensemble of their A Joyful Sound concert.
Sunday, December 22, 4 pm — Unitarian Church of Montpelier, Onion River Chorus winter concert.
Tuesday, December 24, 4 pm — The early Christmas Eve service, featuring the Christmas story old and new and Silent Night by candlelight, of course!
Tuesday, December 24, 7 pm — The late Christmas Eve Service of Lessons and Carols, featuring our choir and great music, including, the closing carol, Silent Night by candlelight.