Songs of the Season

In addition to gingerbread men, twinkling lights and gift giving, the holidays are a time for choral music. If you are a fan of the many songs of the season, then the Evanston Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Concert is sure to delight you.

This year, the concert will feature an array of choral music, from traditional melodies to modern selections, and a variety of groups to perform them. Some highlights: The Evanston Children’s Choir will be returning this season with two versions of Welcome Yule, one by Benjamin Britten and the other by William Matthias. The North Shore Choral Society, an integral part of the ESO Holiday Concert, will be singing Francis Poulenc’s Gloria; John Rutter’s Shepherd’s Pipe Carol; and Away in a Manger, arranged by Mack Wilberg.

New this year, the Evanston Symphony Holiday Gospel Choir, an ensemble led by the Rev. Ken Cherry, will be performing Hallelujah from Quincy Jones’s Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration, orchestrated by Bobby Schiff. The group will also present Oh What a Pretty Little Baby by Timothy Wright. As always, the audience can look forward to the the Hallelujah Chorus and the Christmas Carol Sing-a-long.

Besides these sweet vocal songs of the season, the Holiday Concert will again feature Evanston Dance Ensemble, which will dazzle the audience with several selections from Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic, The Nutcracker. The Holiday Concert will take place on Sunday, Dec. 6, at 3 p.m. at Evanston Township High School, 1600 Dodge Ave. in Evanston.