Author: Max Brzezinski
Clearly, no holiday season is complete without great festive music. We here at Come Hear NC have put together our shortlist of must-attend holiday concerts happening throughout the state. So whether you are looking to kitsch it up in your ugliest Christmas sweater, meditate on the reason for the season whilst bathed in candlelight, get jazzy on Roanoke Island with an Army Band, or just sing along to your favorite Yuletide tunes, you can find what you need in the guide below.
Classical Christmas with Carlos: MESSIAH and More (December 5 - 7)
Memorial Hall | Chapel Hill, NC | 7:30 on Dec. 5
Meymandi Concert Hall | Raleigh, NC | 8 PM on Dec. 6, 3 PM on Dec. 7
North Carolina Symphony Music Director Carlos Miguel Prieto will conduct the North Carolina Master Chorale, performing some of the most stirring devotional music every written: Handel’s Messiah, including the famed “Hallelujah Chorus,” and Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio.”
Holiday Music with The Army TRADOC Jazz Band (December 7)
Roanoke Island Festival Park | Manteo, NC | 7 PM
The Jazz Combo of TRADOC (The United States Army Training and Doctrine Command Band) will bebop their way into the holiday spirit, in what promises to be a fascinating combination of martial rigor in a genre founded on improvisation. An all-ages family event, this show will surely be a night of communal good feeling. Event is free.
Holiday Pops with The NC Symphony (various dates and locations)
Wilmington (Dec. 10) | Tarboro (Dec. 11) | Pinehurst (Dec. 12) | New Bern (Dec. 15) | Jacksonville (Dec. 18)
Enjoying a Holiday Pops performance with the NC Symphony is a cherished tradition for many in our state. A tried-and-true means to stoke Christmas in the heart, attend a Pops show and be stirred by memories of holiday past, the love of holiday present, and hope for holiday future! Lead by conductor David Glover, the program features “Sleigh Ride,” ”White Christmas,” “Carol of the Bells,” well-loved tunes from Christmas films and Frozen, and more! Performances are slated in Wilmington, Tarboro, Pinehurst, New Burn and Jacksonville, so check the link for full schedule information.
“Ugly Sweater” Holiday Pops (December 18)
Meymandi Concert Hall | Raleigh, NC | 8 PM on Dec. 6, 3 PM on Dec. 7
Donning an ugly sweater isn’t necessary for wintertime enjoyment, but it certainly helps you get in the mood. Here your most garish knitwear will be (though not required). So if you enjoy the frisson effect of committing crimes against fashion, the "Ugly Sweater" installment of the Holiday Pops is the show for you.
A Candlelight Christmas (December 18 - 20)
Meymandi Concert Hall | Raleigh, NC | 8 PM on Dec. 18, 3 on Dec. 19 and 20
Join The NC Symphony Holiday Brass for a night of serene holiday festivities, staged in a candlelit glow. Conducted by Sophie Sze-Ki Mok, and accompanied by the North Carolina Master Chorale Youth Choir, this Candlelight Christmas event will be sure to ease everyone into the Yuletide spirit. And come early for a chance to visit with Santa and enjoy carols in the lobby, the latter sung by The Oakwood Waits.
Photo provided by The NC Symphony