This holiday season, ӣƵ’ choral music community is bringing tidings of comfort and joy with concerts featuring everything from the sacred to the sassy.
These holiday concerts have become as traditional as chestnuts roasting on an open fire as choirs celebrate love, peace and the spirit of the holidays.
The Ambassadors of Harmony perform at a holiday show.
Ambassadors of Harmony: ‘Sounds of the Season’
- When: 7 p.m. Dec. 13 and 14. 2 p.m. Dec. 14 and 15
- Where: Touhill Performing Arts Center, 1 Touhill Circle Drive, Bellerive Acres
- How much: $22.50-$45
- More info:
Ambassadors of Harmony is making spirts bright with “Sounds of the Season,” a heartwarming concert featuring over 100 singers covering a breadth of styles, including jazz, pop, Broadway tunes and barbershop classics.
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Known for festive frolics, this men’s a capella group offers audiences an element of surprise. This year’s show is no different. “Sounds of the Season” takes the chorus into space on a mission to save Christmas.
“This year we have something creative up our sleeves!” Says Vice President of Marketing Michael Martinez, who joined Ambassadors of Harmony in 2019. “We love to create a sense of wonder and excitement and combine it with incredible music and a feeling of togetherness — that makes ‘Sounds of the Season’ such a special Christmas tradition.”
Joining Ambassadors of Harmony this year are champion quartet Vocal Spectrum.
Several songs from “The Polar Express” will be featured along with selections that match the program’s “out of this world” theme.
“The music is simply beautiful,” Martinez says. “This concert has become a beloved tradition for many families in the ӣƵ area — a way to connect with the community and celebrate the spirit of the season.”
Originally presented at Hazelwood Central High school, the chorus is now in its 18th year of presenting its concert at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. Martinez hopes audiences react the same way he did when he saw his first “Sounds of the Season” concert.
“I was captivated. The ambassadors’ sound gave me goosebumps! I knew I had to be a part of it!”
The Gateway Men’s Chorus: ‘This Holiday Concert Is No Joke’
- When: 8 p.m. Dec. 14 and 3 p.m. Dec. 15
- Where: Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union Boulevard
- How much: $20
- More info:
The Gateway Men’s Chorus will mix humor and heart at “This Holiday Concert Is No Joke.”
“This concert is largely focused on humor in holiday music, although we have serious pieces peppered in,” says Michael Franzoni, executive director for Gateway Men’s Chorus. “The design of the show is kind of a holiday dad joke, if you will.”
He says the concert will include a range of pieces. “We have traditional favorites, including a piece called ‘Variations on Jingle Bells’ that features the song sung in various styles of music. There is also an African American themed piece that is a little more serious. Also featured are several colloquial and humorous pieces like ‘Coming Out for Christmas.’ We have something for everybody in the show.”
Founded in 1987, the GMC has become one of ӣƵ’ most prominent LGBTQIA arts organizations. While emphasizing that the concert is open to all, Franzoni notes that it is particularly special for members of ӣƵ’ LGBTQIA community.
“Unfortunately, LGBTQIA people haven’t always had the best relationship with churches or even their own families throughout their lives,” he says. “So, forming traditions like this concert and building families around us and how we celebrate holiday traditions makes this special for us.”
In addition to singing holiday songs, the chorus is doing some fundraising with a raffle.
The American Chamber Chorale and Orchestra is celebrating its last season.
American Chamber Chorale: ‘Christmas Time Is Here!’
- When: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14
- Where: Salem United Methodist Church, 1200 South Lindbergh Boulevard, Ladue
- How much: Free
- More info:
Despite the recent announcement that the American Chamber Chorale and Orchestra’s 24th season will be its last — the season will run through May 2025 — the group remains undeterred in spreading yuletide joy this holiday season.
Since 2001, the chorale has given audiences a rich diversity of musical styles, blending sacred and secular works, major works for orchestra, and music from other cultures. They have also championed pieces by contemporary composers.
For its final Christmas concert by candlelight, the group will sing Christmas carols by composer, conductor and arranger Sir John Rutter, along with other beloved carols, vocal works by modern composers and seasonal classics.
Also on the program is a tribute to Stephen Morton, the chorale’s founder, artistic director and conductor. Guided by a desire to present classical, Baroque, romantic and modern compositions in fresh ways, he, along with his musicians and singers, give concertgoers heavenly harmonies and delightful melodies.
Executive Director Marsha Armentrout commented on the special bond the holiday program forms between the the chorale and its supporters.
“Our audiences are inspired by this concert, which is filled with the joy of Christmas,” she says. “Our patrons can also feel the love our chorale and orchestra share with each other.”
