Upcoming Holiday Weekend Features Bainbridge Ballet, several Chorale Performances and Crescendo on Monday Night!

Bainbridge Ballet Performs the Nutcracker at Bainbridge High School

The Nutcracker Ballet is based on the story “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice” written by E.T.A. Hoffman. Although what is seen on the stage today is different in detail from the original story, the basic plot remains the same; The story of a young German girl who dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King with seven heads. 

When Marius Petipa had the idea to choreograph the story into a ballet, it was actually based on a revision by Alexander Dumas, a well-known French author. His version reflects more of what we have come to love as the Nutcracker Ballet. You may or may not know the story. There’s a Party Scene, followed by a Fight Scene, then the Nutcracker magically turns into a Prince and takes Clara, the little girl, to the Land of Snow.

From there they arrive at the Land of Sweets, where they are met by the Sugar Plum Ferry. Some seven dances follow between the Prince and the Army of Mice. The battles conclude with the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Cavalier dancing a beautiful Pas De Deux. Not long after, Clara awakens from her dream and finds herself by her Christmas tree with her beloved Nutcracker.

Details:  Bainbridge Ballet Performs the Nutcracker at Bainbridge High School. Eight dates from Dec. 13-Dec. 22: Bainbridge Ballet 20th Anniversary Production of THE NUTCRACKER Tickets in Bainbridge Island, WA, United States

Bainbridge Chorale’s Love Pure Light Concert, plus a Family Holiday Concert 

The Bainbridge Chorale presents Love’s Pure Light, a celebration of the holiday season featuring a selection of beautiful new arrangements of traditional holiday carols and featuring Craig Courtney’s exuberant Festival Gloria.

The text for the Festival Gloria is taken from the traditional angelic announcement of the birth of Christ, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace to men of goodwill.”

Courtney avoids a merely “accompanimental” keyboard role, but instead provides an independently thought, well-crafted, idiomatically written piano part. Acclamations of “Gloria” set the stage for a flowing tenor line. Often settings of this text are grandly majestic, but Courtney embraces a largely contemplative mood, reinforcing a sense of wonder and an appeal for peace.

Performances are at Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church on Saturday, Dec. 14 at 7 pm and Sunday, Dec. 15 at 3 pm. Separately a Family Holiday Concert will be held at 3 p.m. on Dec. 14. The Concert will include a range of holiday repertoire selected from the Love’s Pure Light concert to appeal to all ages. The Bainbridge Youth Choir will also present selections from their holiday repertoire. It’s a family-friendly concert about an hour long, suitable for children or anyone who prefers a shorter concert.

Details: Bainbridge Chorale Holiday Events: Love’s Pure Light, plus a Family Holiday Concert and more. Tickets available at: Upcoming Events | Bainbridge Chorale

Gather for Some Traditional Holiday Tunes Performed by Crescendo on Monday December 16th 

Come celebrate the Spirit of the Season, with a concert by the Crescendo Singers on December 16. The music begins at 7 p.m. at Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church, 11042 Sunrise Dr NE, Bainbridge Island. The concert is free – but donations are happily accepted.

The song list includes holiday favorites, such as the Beach Boys’ “Little Saint Nick”; “Holly Jolly Christmas” from the movie “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”; Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You”; , “Hanarot Halalu,” a traditional Hanukkah song; and Jose Feliciano’s rocking salute to Christmas, “Feliz Navidad.” In addition, the Bainbridge High School Choir Club will perform some numbers.

Crescendo is led by Wendi Olinger with accompaniment by Catherine Benson. The group of 36 singers is part of Ovation Performing Arts Northwest, a nonprofit Bainbridge-based theater and performance group. For more information, please go to ovationmtb.com/crescendo.

Details: Crescendo Singers, enjoy a free concert, featuring an array of familiar and not so familiar Holiday tunes: December 16 at 7 p.m. at Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church.

If you’d like to read more articles from The Island Wanderer Blog website, click here, to subscribe to The Island Wanderer Blog, click here.

ADVERTISE WITH US! We offer exceptional rates and packages for advertisers, to learn more, contact us at Contact Us | THE ISLAND WANDERER