Friday Night Is Music: 100 Years Of Billie Holiday

Friday Night is Music Night Radio 2 presents a special concert to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Billie Holiday. With a stellar line of singers like the legendary American singer Madeline Bell soul; Gloria Onitiri (The Bodyguard) and Rebecca Ferguson (Factor X) with the 60-piece orchestra of the BBC augmented to include a great band and directed by Mike Dixon Concert.

The concert features music of all extraordinary career of Billie Holiday including what a little moonlight can do, Them There Eyes, That Ole Devil Called Love, Blue Moon, Strange Fruit, God Bless the Child and many more.

Andrea Bocelli To Perform Holiday-Tinged Concert Sunday

Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli has a special connection to Detroit. It was here, in 1999, where he made his opera debut in North America on stage at the Detroit Opera House in Massenet's "Werther".

Still, it's been a dozen years since the clarion voice artist busy intersection has been heard in these parts.

Bocelli is now catching up on Sunday at a concert at the Joe Louis Arena time. He will be accompanied by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Eugene Kohn. Soprano Maria Aleida, violinist Caroline Campbell and Broadway singer and actress Heather Headley will join him.

Bocelli took a break during their tour to chat with us.

Can you give a preview of his concert in Detroit? I imagine being so close to Christmas there will be some selections from his CD "My Christmas".

Yes, definitely there will be selections from "My Christmas" as well as songs from the albums "Passione", "Sogno", "Concerto" and "Incanto". We have tried to create a cheerful program, including some masterpieces of opera and classical pop music, not forgetting that we will be close to the Christmas season.

Will you be back home in Italy for Christmas? What are some of your Christmas traditions?

I'll spend Christmas with my family in my home in Miami. I have always lived this time as a time of joy and devotion. It's a party that does not want to forget the true meaning of, and that is spiritual. In fact, for me the heart of Christmas is the Mass, in which the whole family participates Bocelli. As Christmas traditions at our table Christmas sweet bread [a sweet bread Italian] never missed.

You have sung a duet with so many partners, Celine Dion and Natalie Cole Sarah Brightman and Cecilia Bartoli. Are there singers who want to sing but have not yet?

I do not want to appear evasive, but in reality there are many colleagues with whom I like to work, and not just celebrities have always admired, but also new emerging talents sometimes find myself worldwide. There are too many names to mention, with the risk of forgetting some.

In October his recording of "Manon Lescaut" Puccini was launched with soprano Ana María Martínez and Placido Domingo driver. Does the fact that Dominic, who is also a singer, make smoother experience?

Maestro Domingo was able to make the best of the cast because he himself is a powerful singer, who perfectly knows all our needs. He carried out the scoring with a sensual power, with a wealth of nuances such that all loved it. I finished the recording sessions with a heart full of emotions and memories to cherish, with the feeling of having deepened this masterpiece, as it had never done before.

Of course, there are also "Manon" by Massenet on the same subject. That's an opera that hopes to record one day?

Why not? Massenet is a composer who I love very much. I love the elegance of his writing, his wealth of inventiveness, the colors of the orchestra, and climate soft romanticism that he is able to spread. I recorded her years "Werther" ago. I have a great interest in general for the French operatic repertoire.

Charities and charity concerts have always been important in his career, and who founded the Andrea Bocelli Foundation in 2011. What are you most proud of in what the Foundation has achieved so far?

I am proud and moved by the way the Foundation that bears my name has been able to catalyze the forces of so many volunteers, young and not young, professionals who come not only from Italy but also in many other counties, which support the Board of Directors and Advisory Board. The force of the Foundation - and my greatest pride - is the structure I like to describe as a bustling hive where the contribution of individual strengths and gives value to the team that leads to achieve results that would otherwise be have not been achieved.

Last spring, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Billboard Latin Music Awards and sang their duet 2009, "Vive Ya" with Laura Pausini. Is Latin music something you've always wanted, or that develops later?

He has always loved since I was in college and I made my living in areas of the provinces of playing the piano. I had to rise through the ranks, and that led me to deepen, sing and play many pages of this repertoire. I think that Latin music can reach the hearts of people all over the world for their warmth and their intrinsic beauty. America is a culture that has music in his blood and living the art of sound as a necessity, as a fundamental ingredient of daily life.

You recorded "Turandot" with Zubin Mehta in Valencia last summer. When will it be released?

Certainly, in the course of next year. Zubin Mehta is probably the greatest driver still in business today. ... "Turandot" is, I think, the last title of the opera of the 20th century able to arouse popular enthusiasm. The music admirably conveys under the wing of an alluring and mysterious tale as China, the languages of two centuries: the 19th century and romantic pathos, and the new turbulence of the 20th century having been able to carry out this brilliant score with Mehta on the podium is a great joy for me.

Andrea Bocelli

19:30 Sunday

Joe Louis Arena, Detroit

Tickets $ 55- $ 355

onlineticketspot.com

Series Of Concerts Across The West Island Usher In The Holiday Season

A lot of celebratory performances are about to usher in the holiday season.
The Octet plus Choir, under the direction of Constance Osborne launches the West Island holiday season with a Christmas concert to benefit the Vision Self-Help Association West Low Island, in the church of St-John-the-Baptiste, Ste 233 Claire Pointe-Claire Ave., on November 26 at 19:30

The 20 singers come from choirs around Montreal. Octet Plus was established in 1988 by Sue Maule, the late wife of former US consul general in Montreal. The performance includes a holiday singalong and is followed by a reception. Admission is free, but an offer of good will of the partnership is welcome.

* The West Island Chorus of Sweet Adelines brings his special brand of a cappella singing to Lindsay Place High School, 111 Broadview Ave. in Pointe-Claire, November 29 at 7:30 pm the concert features 40 voices and a list holiday-themed songs. Tickets cost $ 20. A portion of the proceeds go to Community Shares of West Island.

A cast of local celebrities is back to reading the traveling version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, as part of the Concert Series at St. Columba-St-Columba-by-the-Lake Presbyterian Church, 11 Rodney Ave . In Pointe-Claire, December 6 at 7 pm

Dickens created a five-part version of the classic tale of epiphany and redemption he took public tours back in the day. Each section - called a "stick" - is read by a local personality, with musical interludes with the Festival by the indie band Motel Raphael, blues singer Dawn Tyler Watson, jazz pianist John Roney, MSO harpist Jennifer Swartz, Celtic fiddler Kate Bevan-Baker, soprano Manon Feubel and vocal jazz quartet Quavaria.

Shari Okeke, CBC Radio Daybreak avoid reads 1; Ian Victor, from McGill University 'Presbyterian College, read around 2; Actress Elizabeth Prevost read avoid 3; CBC Daybreak host Mike Finnerty shared reading 4 long staff member Clare Reid-St Columba, and producer Kevin Tierney May avoid reading.

"No entry as a director, so I'm on tenterhooks to hear the personal interpretations of the rich characters of Dickens," St-Columba Concert Series Artistic Director Michael McAuley said. "And the music is a real mix. The evening closes with a wonderful mix of jazz Christmas music by Quavaria. In this age of all things digital, listen Live is electric."

Tickets are $ 25, $ 15 for students and $ 70 maximum for families. Proceeds go to Tyndale St-Georges Community Centre in Little Burgundy and St-Columba-by-the-Lake Church.

Students from John Rennie Actors Studio 'cause hilarity with British pantomime Beauty and the Beast, a pantomime Christmas by Toby Bradford and Tina Webster, Louise Chalmers Theatre at 501 St-Jean Boulevard in Pointe-Claire, 11 to 12 December at 7:30 pm and December 13 at 15:00

Pantomime is traditionally performed during festivals. Its roots go back to comedy it in Italian art of the 16th century over the years expanded to encompass the influence of European fairy tales. Pantomime today continues to offer a set list Stooges archetypal characters and is a mixture of slapstick comedy, music and audience participation. Pantomime has been a hit with families for generations.

Tickets are $ 12 for adults and $ 6 for students and seniors and can be purchased at the door or online www.onlineticketspot.com or www.goticketsnow.com.

‘Balkan Lounge Funk,’ Flamenco In Holiday Concert

The next house concert at the Holiday Music Motel in Sturgeon Bay has a worldly view with Euro-dance folk of the Reptile Palace Orchestra and flamenco music Marija Temo in the bill.



Describing himself as "the hall of funk Balkan" Reptile Palace Orchestra based in Madison has a long reputation as one of the first folk bands in the region, specializing in the lounge, klezmer and sounds of Europe this one. The band began over two decades ago and members have come and gone, but the eclectic mix of instruments (including drums, clarinet, cello, accordion, French horn and violin) and unique arrangements have remained attractive for people of all ages as it brings high energy, fun dance performances.

Opening the show is fear, a native of the central region and world renowned flamenco guitarist, singer, conductor and former dancer who combines flamenco and classical music skills for their unique sound.

Reptile Palace Orchestra and Marija Temo are in concert at 7 pm Aug. 7 at the Holiday Music Motel, 30 N. First Ave, Sturgeon Bay. Tickets are $ 10 and seating is very limited, so reservations are recommended.

My Morning Jacket Detail 'One Big Holiday' Concert In Mexico

Band of Horses, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, war on drugs, Dr. Dog and Biz Markie play with three sets of MMJ

My Morning Jacket have begun revealing details about the second edition of a big party, Mexican blowout concert scheduled for early next year. In addition to the three performances of the Louisville rockers Band of Horses - which will both electric and acoustic shows separate - Preservation Hall Jazz Band, the War on Drugs, Dr. Dog, Dawes, Sylvan Esso and Biz Markie (DJ) are factors that make for 2,500 concertgoers at the event. The event will take place at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, an hour south of Cancun, between 31 January and 4 February.



"Lawd have mercy!" prone exclamation point My Morning Jacket frontman Jim James tells Rolling Stone. "Good Mother Mexico showed us so much love for the last time - which, of course, had to make sure that a big holiday happens again (and again and again) We are so excited to have our new and old friends, on stage and in the audience, join us for what we know will be an adventure so relaxing, but at the same time stimulating getaway! Can you imagine, being relaxed and elated all at the same time?'m sure I bet you can! Good times wait! "

A big party is an all inclusive event, featuring food, drinks, concerts and activities as part of the ticket price. It also includes a download code for each of the performances of My Morning Jacket, and the hotel will also offer viewing parties for the Super Bowl, which will take place on the second day of the festival. Along with his three series, My Morning Jacket revealed plans to organize a dance party during the weekend.

Tickets for the event go on sale June 27 at noon, although returning guests can order pre-sale tickets a day earlier.

Holiday Pops Concert Presents Christmas Music With Meaning

It's a comment from Scott Master Arkenberg has heard over and over and over again.

"People tell me they came to Holiday Pops Christmas because they wanted to find again," he says, his voice breaking the silence that immediately followed the sentence. “And I suppose, in a way, helps me find Christmas, too.”



Because the first occasion Holiday Pops concert in 2001, Arkenberg was going through a pain that all inevitably go through. His father and mother had both died that year; using song to work through his pain got him yet.

But now, 12 years later, he cannot hear the melody of "Silent Night” and the haunting sound of the English horn without remembering the disappointing first day. "We played “Silent Night "in his honor," he says quietly Arkenbreg.”Music joins the heart and soul all year, but especially during the holidays. "

Among the lyrics of songs sung on the night of December 7 at the annual Holiday Pops concert Chicago is an undeniable emotion that we all feel, even in this high tech world full sterile condition.

"Last Sunday, we were practicing one of the songs, but we had trouble getting the feeling behind the words," explains Joe Aschenbrenner, an optometrist by day works as a singer in the choir Holiday Pops. "Master Arkenberg finished telling us a story about how, as a child, he was under the Christmas tree and look up at all the lights, and it was a magical experience it was. I mean immediately could relate to the history because all have done, too. With those memories behind the lyrics of a song, there is no way to sing without a ton of feeling behind it. "

" For seven weeks singing a community comes together to blend their voices in song," Arkenberg added.” They are all so different, yet so similar in many respects. "

This distinctive blend of voices is truly unique, especially since there is no formal process for hearing Chorus Holiday Pops. Anyone can join regardless of age or religious background or vocal talent. However, you can be sure; the whole forming the choir is a specialized group. The evening will also include the stunning vocal talents of media personalities from Chicago, as Stefan Holt, Anthony Ponce and Maryann Ahern. “We are just normal people who meet once a year to sing our hearts," adds Arkenberg.

Sing - and play with all your heart, that is. Because the 80 voices that make up the Chorus Holiday Pops will also join the 47 -piece Symphony Orchestra tonight at Southport in particular. The evening will also include two pieces of music organized by the founder of “Straight No Chaser" and WGN- TV reporter / anchor Dan Ponce, and Emceeing talents NBC 5 reporter / anchor Rob Elgas.

“St. Michael in Old Town is very excited to welcome new Holiday Pops Chicago this year," the father says. Tom Papa, the pastor of the church. “The beautiful choral music combined with the orchestra, located in our sacred space is a great way to start the Christmas season.”

UGA Holiday Concerts Spread Seasonal Cheer

The University of Georgia Holiday Concert, a tradition of the community of Athens,

 returns November 29 to 30 at 8 pm at Hodgson Hall.

Concerts bring together the UGA Symphony Orchestra and choral ensembles under the direction of Professor Mark Cedel. The nearly 300 singers and students take an evening of selections including new and familiar songs of the season and an audience sings.

“The concerts have become a staple of the holiday season and remain some of the most popular shows each year," said Dale Monson, director of the Hugh Hodgson School of Music UGA. “The choral and orchestral music we bring cheerful rooms each year - largely known and familiar - rekindles the joy and good will we all feel during the holidays.”

The 2012 Holiday Concerts are sponsored by William and Mary Barstow and Dolly Denmark Hutcherson, in memory of Leila Daughtry Denmark.

Tickets for the program, which is part of the second Hodgson School of Music Scholarship Concert Series Thursday Hugh, are $ 25 for general publib and $ 5 for students.

For tickets, call the UGA Performing Arts Center www.OlineTicketSpot.com or www.GoTicketsNow.com

Established in 1980, the second Thursday Scholarship Concert Series offers presentations UGA students and teachers of the second Thursday of every month throughout the academic year.

Proceeds from the sale of individual tickets and season tickets allow academic scholarships and assistantships throughout the year for students and presented to donors the opportunity to sponsor school student’s individual music at various levels of giving. In 2011, the second series Thursday awarded scholarships to 30 students based on faculty recommendations, academic performance and performance capability.

After winter break, the series continues Jan. 10 at 8 pm in Hodgson Hall Distinguished Professor of Piano Evgeny Rivkin takes the stage for an evening of selections from the 18th and 19th centuries.