Whether you want to raise your voice to the heavens or stomp your feet in a boogie-woogie, here are two concerts to fit your holiday music needs:
Handel’s “Messiah”: One of the ways to experience the true majesty of the “Messiah” is to sing along and be backed by a highly accomplished orchestra.
You’ll have that chance when the Everett Symphony Orchestra holds its annual “Sing-Along Messiah” on Sunday.
Under the direction of conductor Paul-Elliott Cobbs, you’ll get the chance to raise your voice to the rafters as the symphony plays this classic of the season as written by George Frederic Handel.
And there’s no disgrace in missing a note.
The sing-along is also a fundraiser for the symphony, so audience members get to help out a good cause while being part of a live performance with an enthusiastic crowd.
It’s a benefit to raise money for the orchestra’s travel fund. Past tours and performances in Italy, Austria and Carnegie Hall were paid solely by each musician. Plans for the next self-funded tours are in the works and could be in Scandinavia or Prague.
The sing-along is held in downtown Everett’s First Presbyterian Church where the stained glass windows, Christmas decorations and great acoustics add to the effect of Handel’s majestic work.
Participants can bring their own score, share one or borrow one from the symphony for a small security deposit. A reception follows the concert.
“Sing-Along Messiah” is at 3 p.m. Sunday at First Presbyterian Church, 2936 Rockefeller Ave., Everett. Admission is $15 and $10 for students and seniors. Call the ticket line anytime at 800-595-4849, or buy tickets at the door at 2:30 p.m. or go to www.everettsymphony.org. Bring a nonperishable food item for the food bank.
“An Old-Fashioned Country Christmas”: Folks at the Historic Everett Theatre are asking: Do Santa’s elves wear cowboy boots?
The answer is “definitely,” if they’re attending the family-friendly “Old Fashioned Country Christmas,” a holiday-themed music show featuring the talents of the Hometown Band, a six-piece country ensemble made up of professional local musicians.
The Hometown Band, whose members are Mark Hibbert, Jeremy Randall, Buck Hammock, Roger Kehler, Larry Greenleaf and Dave McCabe, played their first Hometown Hootenany at Historic Everett in November, and now they’re at it again, this time to put the country back in Christmas.
The band plays traditional and modern country.
Joining them will be Reggie Miles, an eclectic solo musician. His unusual style is hard to categorize, and in addition to playing guitar and harmonica, he also makes music with a saw.
“He blew us away at auditions for the Hootenanny,” explained Scott Randall, president of the Red Curtain Foundation, which produces the monthly Hootenany. “But he didn’t really fit into any of the themes we had identified for the monthly productions. When we found out he had several original Christmas songs in his repertoire, it seemed like an ideal match for his captivating storytelling style.”
Also appearing are Cat Henderson and Rebekah Ann Curtis.
Henderson wrote the winning lyrics in the University of Washington’s 2008 Song of Washington contest, a ditty called “Rise Up With Pride for Washington,” and has performed for several years as a member of Quarter Past 8, a four-piece band with a folk-rock style.
Curtis is a Seattle area vocalist whose been described as having the “voice next door” and whose debut CD, “Stay Close,” features original compositions.
“An Old-Fashioned Country Christmas” starts at 7:30 tonight at Historic Everett Theatre, 2911 Colby Ave., Everett. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, students and military personnel, and $5 for kids 12 and under. Festival seating tickets are available by calling 800-838-3006 online at www.brownpapertickets.com.
Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424; goffredo@heraldnet.com.
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