Tucson is getting its holiday cheer this weekend with a trio of concerts featuring a little Irish holiday jig, jazzy acoustic takes on a classic carol and one of the most moving and endearing holiday-themed classical music masterpieces ever composed.
And hereβs the sweet part: You could see all three. Two of the shows are one-time-only events on different days β Thursday, Dec. 13, and Saturday, Dec. 15; the other is performed twice, including Sunday, Dec. 16.
Windham Hills βA Winterβs Solsticeβ
Itβs not often you see this kind of talent from the renown Windham Hill Records stable sharing a stage in Tucson. But on Thursday, Dec. 13, weβre getting a lineup form the label that In Concert promoter Don Gest says has not assembled here since the late 1980s.
On the marquee: Windham Hill founder and Grammy Award-winning guitarist Will Ackerman, making his Tucson debut; singer, fiddler, pianist and songwriter Barbara Higbie; cellist Mia Pixley; pianist/composer Liz Story; and composer and guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Todd Boston.
Technically this is not a Christmas show, but the artists will throw in some holiday cheer with the classic βCarol of the Bells.β But surely some acoustic pop and jazz β two genres for which Windham is best known β will lighten your mood and put you in the proverbial holiday cheer.
Thursdayβs show at the Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress St., starts at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets from $32 to $64 are available at foxtucsontheatre.ticketforce.com
βIrish Christmas in America
In Concert is bringing the 14th annual βIrish Christmas In Americaβ show to Tucsonβs Gregory School auditorium on Saturday, Dec. 15.
Call this your international submersion into the holidays, complete with good humor, fabulous dancing and some of the most terrific traditional Irish music-making youβll likely experience outside of Ireland.
The 2018 version of the show features guest vocalist Niamh Farrell, who has toured with UK singer/songwriting star David Gray. She teams up with her countryman, the legendary singer SΓ©amus Begley, famous for his charming wit and stunning voice; and traditional Irish dancer and bodhran player Brian Cunningham.
Saturdayβs show starts at 8 p.m. at the Gregory School, 3231 N. Craycroft Road, north of East Grant Road.
Tickets are $25 in advance at Antigone Books or the Folk Shop; or online at inconcerttucson.com
The price is $3 more at the door, with discounts available.
moving βMessiahβ
They say that the earth shakes and your pulse pounds from the weight of Handelβs masterpiece, βMessiah.β And while we would never claim that the ground beneath the Catalina Foothills High School auditorium shifted when the Tucson Symphony Orchestra performed the Christmastime classic in years past, we have seen folks moved to near tears.
The orchestra and its pretty terrific chorus, under the baton of Bruce Chamberlain, will join a quartet of guest soloists β soprano Kathryn Mueller, alto Sarah Barber, tenor Richard Trey Smagur and baritone Troy Cook β for two matinee performances, at 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16, at the school, 4300 E. Sunrise Drive.
Tickets are $45 to $55 through tucsonsymphony.org; admission for kids under 18 is half price.
