Monterey County Pops! Holiday Concerts
Schedule
Sat Dec 13 2025 at 07:30 pm to 09:00 pm
UTC-08:00Location
The Western Stage, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA, USA | Salinas, CA
Get ready for an unforgettable musical experience that promises to captivate audiences of all ages! Join us for a thrilling 80-minute concert where professional artistry meets family-friendly entertainment all at no cost to you! Seating is limited and available on a first-come first-served basis so be sure to arrive early when doors open an hour prior to the show.
Witness the powerful sounds of the 15-piece Brass and Percussion Ensemble from Monterey County Pops! expertly led by our talented Music Director and Conductor Dr. Carl Christensen alongside the harmonious 35-member Hartnell College Choir under the direction of the esteemed Professor Sandy Rudo.
This dynamic collaboration features a dazzling array of instruments including trumpets French horns trombones euphonium tuba timpani and percussion creating a rich and vibrant tapestry of sound that will resonate in your heart long after the final note. Don’t miss this chance to immerse yourself in a day of musical brilliance!
The program will open with festive Renaissance music by Tielman Susato and dances by Praetorius. The glorious tradition of Venetian antiphonal brass music will be represented by canzonas by Giovanni Gabrieli and Aurelio Bonelli. The program will continue with “Fanfare and Chorus” by Buxtehude a Danish composer much admired by J.S. Bach. “O Magnum Mysterium” by contemporary California Morten Lauridsen will be performed in an arrangement which the composer created for the brass of the San Francisco Symphony. The instrumental portion will conclude with contemporary settings of traditional holiday carols arranged by Bill Holcombe David Uber and Hawley Ades.
The concert will conclude with the 35-voice Hartnell College Choir joining the brass and percussion ensemble for contemporary settings of “Deck the Hall” “Hanukkah Song” “Silver Bells” “Let It Snow” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”.
A lobby reception with the performers will follow the concert.
Where is it happening?
The Western Stage, Central Avenue, Salinas, CA, USA, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
