MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Pops! orchestra is gearing up to spread holiday cheer with two free concerts that the whole family can enjoy this weekend.
The performances are scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 14, at 7:30 p.m. at Hartnell College’s Western Stage in Salinas, and on Sunday, Dec. 15, at 3 p.m. at the Carmel High School Performing Arts Center. Seating for both events will be on a first-come, first-served basis, with doors opening one hour before the performances.
Under the direction of Music Director Carl Christensen, the Monterey County Pops! will be joined by the Hartnell College Choir, led by Professor Sandy Rudo. The concert will feature solo performances from accomplished flutist Gilberto Oros and harpist Alexandra Perdew.
Oros will perform “Dance of the Blessed Spirits” from Christoph Willibald von Gluck’s opera “Orpheus,” a piece famously brought to prominence by British flutist James Galway. Perdew will captivate audiences with “Waltz of the Flowers” from Tchaikovsky’s beloved “Nutcracker Ballet.”
Hartnell College Choir will lend their voices to special arrangements of classic holiday tunes, including “The First Noel,” “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “Ukrainian Bell Carol” and the traditional Hanukkah song “Bashana Hab’ah.”
The orchestra’s program will also feature Ralph Vaughan Williams’ enchanting arrangement of “Greensleeves,” Aaron Copland’s vibrant “Variations on a Shaker Melody” and Bach’s intricate “Little Fugue in G Minor.”
The concert will come to a joyous close with two seasonal favorites by Leroy Anderson: “A Christmas Festival” and “Sleigh Ride,” ensuring a festive end to what promises to be an unforgettable holiday experience.
