Roches use eclectic style at holiday show

Published 9:00 pm Thursday, December 14, 2006

The Roche sisters have performed trio, duo and solo music for countless concerts and 15 recordings. The best songs from those years plus music from their popular “We Three Kings” recording will be performed in “The Roches with a Holiday Twist” concert tonight in Seattle.

The Roches’ self-titled debut album was named album of the year by The New York Times in 1979. Maggie, Suzy and sometimes Terre have had many projects and tours in the U.S. and Europe.

Their children’s album, “Will You Be My Friend?” earned the Parent’s Gold Choice Award. “Zero Church,” their celebration of faith and diversity, was featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered.”

The sisters have also written music for film, including the score for “Crossing Delancey,” and drawn cartoons for an episode of Steven Spielberg’s “Tiny Toons” TV series.

They’re known for their blend of influences – traditional Irish folk, church choir music, contemporary folk, rock, country and pop – that create Roche music.

Seattle Men’s Chorus: In addition to their traditional musical excellence, the Seattle Men’s Chorus takes more risks than usual in its holiday series, “Joy!”

The song “Non-Traditional Traditions” was created from chorus members’ stories of how they celebrate Christmas, stories drawn from Christians, Jews, agnostics and Buddhists.

“The Truth about Christmas” is a larger risk because it tempers an audience high on the chorus’s energy with the reasons to doubt the season: There is no Santa Claus, being short on cash, late planes, family fights. But “Truth” then lifts spirits as it focuses on one common denominator: hope.

In its 28th season, Seattle’s Men’s Chorus continues its tradition of combining the classics (“Ave Maria,” “Silent Night”), original works, and the irreverent (“I Wanna Be a Rockette,” “The Annoying Drummer Boy”). Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday in Seattle

Celtic Yuletide: Magical Strings, featuring members of the Boulding family, includes Irish dancers, jugglers, storytellers, Celtic harps, hammered dulcimers, whistles, concertina, Irish pipes, hurdy-gurdy and talented vocalists. Sunday, Mount Vernon

“Ain’t Misbehavin’”: The Tony Award-winning musical is back by popular demand for a seven-show, four-night run. Thirty show-stopping musical numbers and a five-member cast journey through the Fats Waller Songbook and Harlem at its entertainment height. Tuesday through Dec. 23, Seattle

A Mary Mary Christmas: Grammy-winning R&B/gospel duo Mary Mary celebrates the holidays with guests Take 6. Expect traditional carols and swinging gospel-tinted originals. Mary Mary won the American Music Awards award for contemporary inspirational music last year, and has crossed over into pop territory. Take 6 sings a cappella gospel music. Tuesday, Seattle

El Vez: My Mexican Merry MeX-mas: The Mexican Elvis performs a three-night set with Elvis songs and holiday music. Robert Lopez rips through a half-dozen costume changes, wry observations, songs and medleys, all in the name of fun and social satire. Sunday through Tuesday, Seattle

Cris Williamson: The Holiday Show: Join singer/songwriters Williamson, Barbara Higbie and Teresa Trull. Williamson, a pioneer of the women’s music genre, delivered “The Changer and the Changed” album in the mid-’70s and sold more than 500,000 copies. Higbie co-founded Montreux, which helped define new-age music. Trull has produced more than 30 albums and sings with a fierce blues style and a big voice. Thursday, Seattle

The Irish Tenors: The trio’s operatic power adds punch to traditional Irish songs. Think ballads and power tunes rather than arias. They debuted on PBS in 1998 and have had seven best-selling albums. Monday, Seattle

Seattle Women’s Chorus: The antidote to holiday stress is to attend the Seattle Women’s Chorus concert “Ho Ho Ho, Fa La La, Ha Ha Ha.” Tradition and thoughtfulness has its place (“Ave Maria,” “Gloria,” “Winter Reverie”), but apparently this year’s show will be “a little naughty,” according to director Dennis Coleman, and definitely funny, with comedians Lisa Koch and Peggy Platt. Tonight through Sunday, Seattle

LEFT: “Ain’t Misbehavin’” returns to Jazz Alley next week.

BELOW: A Mary Mary Christmas is Tuesday in Seattle.