The calendar of holiday events by Boulder County’s classical music organizations heats up this weekend with Pro Musica Colorado and St. Martin’s Chamber Choir’s performances of Bach’s rarely heard Christmas Oratorio (see story at left). 7:30 p.m., Friday, Dec. 2, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Denver, and on Saturday, Dec. 3, at 7:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, Boulder. For tickets visit www.promusi cacolorado. org/buy_tick ets_donate or www.stmartin schamberchoir.org.
Also this weekend, the University of Colorado presents its annual “Holiday Festival” concert, featuring the College of Music choirs, orchestra and other ensembles. There are four performances of this popular program, which generally sells out all four performances in Macky Auditorium: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, and 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4. For tickets visit cupresents.org/default/index. cfm?action=Details&eventID=87.
The Boulder Symphony, an amateur community orchestra for Boulder County, will join with Boulder’s First Presbyterian Church Choir to present “The Glory Of Christmas.” Jim Keller, director of music at First Presbyterian, will conduct a program of holiday favorites and sing-alongs at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, and 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, First Presbyterian Church, Boulder. For tickets, visit bouldersym phony.org/category/2011-2012-season.
The Longmont Symphony Orchestra will present its annual “Candlelight Concert” at the First Methodist Church in Longmont. Robert Olson, also the director of Colorado MahlerFest in Boulder, will conduct the Longmont Symphony and soprano Maureen Sorensson in a program of special and traditional music for the holiday season. Starts 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13 at First United Methodist Church, Longmont. For tickets, call 303-772-5796.
Boulder Chamber Orchestra and conductor Bahman Saless continue their seasonlong “Road to Mastery” with “Festivity.” As with other concerts this season, Saless says, the program reflects both the title of the individual concert and the overall progression of the season. “Festivity” features flute soloist Cobus du Toit and includes Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor and Torelli’s “Christmas Concerto,” both works that fit the theme of the concert. Shows are 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16, at First Congregational Church, Boulder, and 7:00 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, at Jefferson Unitarian Church, Golden. For tickets, visit www.boulderchamberorchestra. org/concerts/201112.html.
Boulder Ballet has already presented performances of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet in Boulder, but there are still more opportunities to see this Christmas favorite, beloved by American audiences for generations. Boulder Ballet partners with the Longmont Symphony Orchestra for performances at Vance Brand Auditorium in Longmont. Starts 7:00 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4. For tickets, call 303-772-5796.
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