Holiday Happenings
Aural Gingerbread
Music and dance permeate the upcoming festive season
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| The Grouch steals Christmas Dec. 8 at the WOW Hall |
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| Eugene Concert Choir’s “A Classic Christmas” opens Dec. 10 at the Hult Center |
The holiday season always brings a mixture of music to Eugene that is both classy and traditional. Venues are gearing up for this festive time of year with top-notch performances and music gigs that will have you procrastinating on your gift giving and anticipating your show-going all at the same time.
The Gleeman Fall Folk Festival, directed by Dr. John Janzi, takes off Nov. 27 at the Wildish Community Theater with choral music and traditional American folk songs. The festival will feature The Oregon Festival Choirs, the South Albany Rebel Singers and the Sheldon High School Dublinaires, each of which are recipients of the Eugene Gleemen Grant for 2011-12.
Dec. 8 and Dec. 11 the Jaqua Concert Hall boasts the stellar vocals of Bob Cross and Bill Hulings, along with Jesse Cloniger (reeds), Vicki Brabham (piano, vocals) and more at “Yule Be Swinging” — an evening of Christmas song favorites that even includes carols you and the family can sing along to.
More holiday merry making ensues Dec. 10-11, at the Silva Concert Hall when the Eugene Concert Choir presents “A Classical Christmas.” This larger-than-life performance will include portions of Handel’s Messiah performed by the 100-voice Eugene Concert Choir and the Bach Christmas Cantata performed by the Eugene Vocal Arts Ensemble. Be on the lookout for gospel singer Darline Jackson and tenor Brennen Guillory, plus UO’s a cappella group On the Rocks.
Christmas would seem incomplete without Tchaikovsky’s signature “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from The Nutcracker — that pensive, titillating tune reminding you of Christmas Eve dinners, eggnog and falling asleep while hiding behind the Christmas tree with your siblings attempting to ambush Santa and hold him hostage for everything in his sack. Eugene Ballet Company brings this epic dance, song and theatre to life Dec. 16-18 at the Hult Center. Don’t miss the opportunity to take your family to this trans-generational classic, choreographed by Toni Pimble and performed by a pulsating dance troop representing some of Eugene’s finest performers.
As if the holiday music extravaganza couldn’t get any better, WOW Hall is stepping it up even more than usual, bringing in the “How the Grouch Stole Christmas” tour. This is not some half-cocked indie hip hop invasion put together by struggling promoters who need money. This is the real thing — Grouch, Zion I and Eli, paired with Evidence of the L.A.-based Dilated Peoples hip-hop powerhouse. You’d be hard-pressed to find a combination this dope coming to any town anymore, given the sleepy state of underground hip hop. This is stocking-stuffing, chestnut-roasting, tree trimming, head-bobbing get-down music. Dec. 8, come early and leave late for this truly impressive combination of artists, sure to rip the night in half with heavy beats and slick 5-percenter lyrics.
Holiday Happenings:
Aural Gingerbread
Music and dance permeate the upcoming festive season
Hot ‘Tails
EW’s take on wintertime drinks
Moving Right Along
Zooming through the holidays with the runs
A Fragment of Underdone Potato
Staged classics new and old offer a little holiday cheer
Holiday Charity Shopping
Spread around some good cheer