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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 16, 2017)
’Tis the Season to Listen FROM NEW AGE SYNTH ROCK TO SERIOUS COMIC OPERA, THERE’S HOLIDAY MUSIC AROUND TOWN FOR EVERY TASTE By Bob Keefer MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMAS N othing ignites the holiday spirit like music — and you can find plenty of festive music happening around town between now and the start of the New Year. Music is a big part of Light Up Downtown, the city’s third-annual public lighting ceremo- ny, which runs from 5:15 to 6:30 pm Friday, Nov. 17, at the West Park Blocks. Check out everyone from Mayor Lucy Vinis to the UO Duck and Eugene’s Slug Queen Santa Fri- da Elisa Refugio Babosita at a festive event that includes music by Eugene Concert Choir, Ridgeline Ukulele Ex- travaganza and the Sheldon High School Dublinaires. The fun continues downtown on Friday evenings in De- cember. FREE. You’ll hear a progressive New Age holiday sound at the celebration of the 32nd anniversary of the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas album at the Hult Center, 7:30 pm Sunday, Nov. 26, when Chip Davis and the ’rollers bring that sound alive, complete with multimedia effects. Tickets $35 and up at hultcenter.org. For a traditional performance from a long-time Eugene choral group, check out The Eugene Gleemen’s Christ- mas Holiday Concert at 7:30 pm Saturday, Dec. 2, at Cen- tral Presbyterian Church, 555 E. 15th Avenue; and at 2:30 pm Sunday, Dec. 3, at Wildish Theater, 630 Main Street, Springfield. Tickets are $15, $12 student and seniors, at the door or at eugenegleemen.org for the Saturday show or wildishtheater.com for Sunday. For an oompahing good time, check out the Oregon Tuba Association’s Tuba Carol Christmas at noon Sun- day, Dec. 3, at Two Rivers/Dos Rios Elementary School at 10th and G streets in Springfield. FREE. Jazz it up at The Shedd in December when the Jazz Kings offer An Old-Fashioned Christmas in two perfor- mances 7:30 pm Wednesday, Dec. 6, and 3 pm Sunday, Dec. 10. The program, with vocals by Shirley Andress, Bill Hulings and others, includes American Songbook standards such as “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” “White Christmas” and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” Tickets are $24-$34 at theshedd.org. The concert will be repeated 7:30 pm Tuesday, Dec. 12, at the LaSells Stewart Center in Corvallis and 7:30 pm Wednesday, Dec. 13, at the Florence Events Center in Flor- ence. See theshedd.org for tickets. Finally, no holiday season would be complete in Eu- gene without the annual New Year’s Eve Eugene Opera performance at the Hult Center. This year the opera is, yet again, back from the dead, having survived its latest oper- atic brush with insolvency. To open its new season of two shows it’s putting on Gioachino Rossini’s crowd-pleasing comedy The Barber of Seville with baritone Jake Gardner, bass-baritone Mal- colm MacKenzie, soprano Heather Johnson and tenor Javier Abreu. Performances are 2:30 pm Saturday, Dec. 30, and 7:30 pm Sunday, Dec. 31. Tickets are $20 to $79 ($15 for students) at eugeneopera.com. ■ HOLIDAY FARMERS MARKET NOV. 18-DEC. 17 At the Lane Events Center (Fairgrounds) LaneCountyFarmersMarket.org or Eat Local this winter! Stock up on veggies, fruits, grains, beans, frozen meat and more! Pre orders Oct. 27- Nov. 10 at willamettefarmandfood.org fro Don’t miss the Fill Your Pantry bulk buying event Sunday Nov. 19 ld beads Saturdays 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sundays 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. m a ro und the w 2833 Willamette • (541) 683-5903 www.harlequinbeads.com E u g e n e We e k l y ’ s H O L I D AY H A P P E N I N G S 2 0 1 7 5