Weekend picks: Win tickets to holiday concerts by the Fresno Philharmonic and Soli Deo Gloria

By Donald Munro

It’s time to get your live Christmas music fix.

This weekend boasts two fine chances to get into the holiday spirit. On Saturday evening, the Fresno Philharmonic presents its always popular holiday concert at 7:30 p.m. at the Saroyan Theatre. And on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m., the women’s choral ensemble Soli Deo Gloria offers an intriguing and sophisticated program — including the premiere of a new version of “The 12 Days of Christmas” by a local composer.

And here’s a little holiday present for you: We’re giving away tickets to both events. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post telling us which performance you’d like to attend. (See below for details.)

Here’s more information on each one:

‘Home for the Holidays’

The Fresno Philharmonic will be conducted by music director Rei Hotoda. There will be caroling and hot chocolate in the lobby beforehand.

The program includes the Fresno Master Chorale (under the direction of Anna Hamre) and special guests baritone Craig Verm and actor Mark Standriff as Santa. There will be new and traditional seasonal favorites, including “Joy to the World,” “Sleigh Ride,” “Mele Kalikimaka,” music from the movies “Polar Express” and “Home Alone,” and more.

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‘Voices of Christmas’

Music director Julie Carter is loves offering familiar carols in fresh arrangements. This concert includes “Ding! Dong! Merrily on High,” “O Holy Night,” “Silent Night,” “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” “In Dulci Jubilo,” “I Saw Three Ships” by David Wilcocks, and “Fecit Potentiam” from Baroque composer Nicola Porporta’s Magnificat.

Carter writes:

We have fresh arrangements of “Ave Maria,” “There is No Rose,” and a brand new arrangement of “The Twelve Days (and carols) of Christmas” by local composer (and our accompanist) Dr. Walter Saul. The latter is quite exciting and really has 12 carols in it.

We also have two guest ensembles with us: the Clendenin Brass Ensemble from CSUF will be playing outside the church to welcome people as they enter. They also help lead a carol sing-along after intermission and perform a piece by themselves. Our second guest ensemble is the Bella Voce Treble Choir from Clovis East H.S. conducted by Allison Crose. They will perform three songs on our program. We always enjoy showcasing a local school choir to encourage young singers!

To enter, leave a comment on this post telling what show/event you’d like to see. You can enter for both shows if you’d like. Deadline to enter is 10 a.m. Saturday. I’ll be notifying winners by email, so be sure to check yours that day.

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