PENDLETON Holiday Music Festival rings in the season
Published 10:36 am Monday, December 5, 2016
- The Sherwood Heights Elementary Children's Choir is among the community groups that will perform during the Oregon East Symphony's annual Holiday Music Festival. This year's event is Sunday, Dec. 11 at the Vert Auditorium in Pendleton.
The public is invited to get in the Christmas spirit as the Oregon East Symphony presents its annual Holiday Music Festival.
Featuring a variety of community ensembles, the ecumenical celebration of the holiday through song is Sunday, Dec. 11 at 3:15 p.m. at the Vert Auditorium, 480 S.W. Dorion Ave., Pendleton. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors or $45 for a family of four.
The Holiday Music Festival offers the season’s most unique performance, including Our Songs Are Alive, organized by veteran singer and Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation cultural historian Fred Hill Sr. They will perform traditional songs. Other featured musicians include Damien Totus and Julian Gone.
Sisters In Song, the Pendleton women’s choir, will perform arrangements of the Spanish carols “What Shall We Give” and “Spanish Allelu,” as well as other selections. Under the direction of Lezlee Flagg and Cheryl Carlson with piano accompaniment from Suzi Wood, they will be joined by Steve Muller on guitar and John Wilson on percussion.
Area youths will be represented in the Sherwood Heights Elementary Children’s Choir under the direction of Cheryl Carlson with assistance from Karen Case and piano accompaniment from Suzi Wood. Members of the choir crafted festive hats especially for the performance.
The Holiday Music Festival serves as the debut performance of the Eastern Oregon Community Big Band. Led by Pendleton High School band director Andy Cary and featuring musicians from Pendleton, Hermiston and Walla Walla, the Big Band will perform arrangements of holiday standards, such as “Winter Wonderland” and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” Soloists include Jill Scanlan, Emily Muller Callender and Aaron Engum.
Advance tickets are available at www.oregoneastsymphony.org, Pendleton Art + Frame, 28 S.W. Court Ave., and the symphony office, 345 S.W. Fourth St., Pendleton. For more information, call 541-276-0320.
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Contact Community Editor Tammy Malgesini at tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4539
