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Best 2015 Holiday Concerts In The Bay Area

Brian Setzer Orchestra (credit: Kevin Winter/ImageDirect/Getty Images)

Holiday Concerts are favorites for good reason. The season signals a time to connect with family and friends to wrap up the old and welcome in the new with anticipation and excitement. Holiday concerts around the Bay Area lure both revelers and more solemn audiences with a range of concerts and performances everyone can enjoy.

Brian Setzer Orchestra -- 12th Annual Christmas Rocks Tour
The Warfield Theater
982 Market St.
San Francisco, CA 94102
1-888-929-7849
www.thewarfieldtheatre.com
Date: Dec 24, 2015, 8 p.m., Tickets: $49.50 - $69.50

Legendary three-time Grammy Award winner Brian Setzer, the iconic guitarist, songwriter, vocalist and former Stray Cats frontman known for his original guitar playing style and off-beat humor, appears along with 18-piece band The Brian Setzer Orchestra to premier Rockin' Rudolph, their first Christmas album in 10 years. Brian and the band will rock out on this 12th Annual Christmas Rock! Tour, featuring sounds from the new album plus music favorites off their three previous holiday album best-sellers. Setzer, undeniably one of the world's greatest living guitarists, and the Brian Setzer Orchestra take Christmas holiday classics and make them their own. Bring the family, as this is one rock concert suitable for all ages.

Marin Symphony Holiday Choral, Concerts by Candlelight
4340 Redwood Highway, Suite 409c
San Rafael. CA 94903
(415) 479-8100
www.marinsymphony.org
Date: Dec 5, 2015, 7:30 p.m. and Dec 6, 2015, 4 p.m., $30 in advance, $35 at the door

The Marin Symphony Annual Holiday Coral Concerts by Candlelight are back, signaling the spirit of the holiday season for many Marin residents. San Rafael's downtown Church of Saint Rafael will welcome the Marin Symphony Chamber Chorus and special guests to gather in this festive Marin community celebration. You are invited to light a candle and join in the song and glow of the holiday season. Visit the website for full program details.

(credit: Chanticleer.org)

 

A Chanticleer Christmas
St. Ignatius Church
650 Parker St.
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 422-2188
www.chanticleer.org
Dates: San Francisco Concerts: Dec 13, 2015 and Dec 19, 2015, 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm, Tickets, $35 - $75; Additional concerts in Oakland, Berkeley, Sacramento, Petaluma, Santa Clara, Stanford, and Carmel

Chanticleer is an amazing award-winning a cappella "orchestra of voices" that seamlessly blends twelve male voices in a variety of musical styles including jazz, gospel and new sounds.

Experience an evening with Chanticleer, a beloved audience favorite for the holidays. Listen to enjoy the Christmas story told in Gregorian chant, Renaissance tones and holiday traditional carols, with highlights of Franz Biebl's cherished "Ave Maria," along with Chanticleer's breathtaking medley spirituals. An evening with Chanticleer will make you eager to welcome the ensemble once again during more of the 2015/16 Bay Area season. Visit the website for complete information including venue locations, dates and times.

Oakland Symphony: Let Us Break Bread Together – Sinatra Style
Paramount Theatre
2025 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 444-0802
www.oaklandsymphony.org
Date: Dec 13, 2015, 4 p.m., tickets: $15 (under 18), $25 - $60 (general)

The holiday season is perfect timing to celebrate the 100th birthday of Frank Sinatra, one of America's most popular and iconic 20th-century music legends, affectionately called "Ol' Blue Eyes." Come celebrate Sinatra's musical legacy as part of the Bay Area's cherished non-traditional holiday happening: "Let Us Break Bread Together." Along with multi-cultural holiday music, the celebration showcases choral arrangements of Sinatra songs and an array of Bay Area talent, including the Oakland Symphony Chorus, the Mt. Eden High School Choir, the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir and others. This concert is an annual sell-out, so order tickets early.

New Century Chamber Orchestra
Holiday Lights
Various locations
www.ncco.org
Dates: Dec 17, 2015 - Dec 20, 2015, 10 am, 5 pm, 8 pm, start time varies by location; concert locations: Berkeley, Palo Alto, San Francisco, and San Rafael; $29 - $61.

Celebrate the season with a variety of Christmas and Hanukkah holiday favorites as New Century welcomes an exciting grouping for an unforgettable concert. Returning is the San Francisco Girls Chorus, famed for its outstanding performances and uniquely captivating sound. This season New Century is thrilled to introduce international Klezmer star David Krakauer, the world-renowned grammy-nominated clarinetist applauded for his dynamic remixing and unique interpretation of his ancestral Jewish music. Krakauer and the San Francisco Girls Chorus join Music Director and Concertmaster Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg for a memorable "Chrismukkah" holiday celebration. Check the website for complete information, including specific dates and venue locations.

Melanie Graysmith is a writer, artist and educator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She writes on adult education, art and culture, business, and lifestyle topics, and enjoys writing short stories and poetry. She is also a part of the Bay Area independent film community. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

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