The Long Beach Camerata Singers will perform “A Camerata Christmas,” on Dec. 17 at Los Altos United Methodist Church. Photo courtesy Camerata Singers.
Guest Conductor Matthew Martinez will lead the Long Beach Chorale and Chamber Orchestra in a Dec. 17-18 performance of holiday music.
Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra will perform the show “Baroque Christmas,” on Dec. 17 in Long Beach and Dec. 18 in downtown L.A. Photo courtesy Musica Angelica.
When it comes to revving up the holiday spirit with music, Long Beach is going into overdrive this weekend with three local musical powerhouses all putting on separate performances celebrating the season.
The Long Beach Chorale and Chamber Orchestra and the Long Beach Camerata Singers both head to different churches for their shows while the Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra stays at home in the Beverly O’Neil Theatre for a performance that will take people back in time.
With so much music available, it’ll be hard to choose which show to catch, although it is possible to see all three.
So here’s what to expect at each holiday concert in Long Beach this weekend.
Expect a fast-paced afternoon of holiday classics when the 80-member choir puts on its first-ever holiday show with a little help from the Southern California Brass Consortium and the 60-member South Bay Children’s Choir.
“I think that presenting holiday concerts is a wonderful way to bring the whole community together, and nothing says Christmas like a choir,” said Robert Istad, the company’s artistic director.
“Ours is special because it’s a huge collaboration,” he said, referring to teaming with the Children’s Chorus and the Brass Consortium for the concert.
Contemporary American composers will be celebrated by the LBCCO at the 7 p.m. Dec. 17 and 4 p.m. Dec. 18 holiday concerts.
The performances are happening at Grace First Presbyterian Church and will be led by guest conductor Matthew Martinez, who is the music director at Mesa Verde United Methodist Church.
“People can expect to see a concert with a really wide variety of Christmas music,” Martinez said.
The program will include works by contemporary American composers, including an inspiring piece by L.A. Master Chorale composer-in-residence Shawn Kirchner called “Behold New Joy” and an a capella piece called “Completing the Circle” by Los Angeles based composer Dale Trumbore.
“It’s a lovely a cappella piece that’s very reflective of the coming together that comes with Christmas,” Martinez said.
The night will end with an audience singalong.
The orchestra will be performing a festive night of music using authentic Baroque period instruments.
The Dec. 17 concert, which is described by the orchestra as “perfect for the yuletide celebration,” will feature a pair of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Christmas oratorios.
“It may be the most festive music written, the most flamboyant music written in the Baroque period,” said Martin Haselböck, the rrchestra’s musical director.
The 7 p.m. performance at Beverly O’Neill Theater will include 28 musicians and 12 singers, which is a big group for a Baroque show.
“It’s really going to be a joyful evening, I would say,” Haselböck added.
There is an additional 7:30 p.m. performance of Baroque Christmas on Dec. 18 at the Zipper Hall, Colburn School of Music in downtown L.A.