Merrily Sing is the theme for this year’s holiday season concerts by the Magnolia Chorale, which is now in its 27th year of bringing holiday joy to the community. The performances, Saturday evening, December 5, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, December 6, at 2:30 p.m. will be held at Magnolia Lutheran Church, 2414 31st Ave W, in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood.

Joining the chorale on Saturday evening will be a choir from Lawton Elementary School; and on Sunday afternoon by Vivissimi, one of the progressive choirs of the Seattle Girls’ Choir.

Jean-Marie Kent and Evan Norberg, the chorale’s director and assistant director, wanted the theme to be about home, with emphasis on the solemnity and especially the joyfulness of the holiday season.

The concert will open with Tomas de Luis Victoria’s O Magnum Mysterium, the great mystery of Christ’s virgin birth. The chorale will then turn to popular Christmas favorites including Mary’s Little Boy Child and When a Child Is Born. “Having two children's choirs come and join us is my attempt at getting that true excitement of sharing Christmas with family and friends back again,” said Jean-Marie, who also directs Vivissimi. In addition to performing selections of their own, the youth choirs will join with the chorale in Robert DeCormier’s arrangement of Children, Go Where I Send Thee.

Some of the music after intermission will be a new experience for our audiences, but were chosen by Jean-Marie because they also are reflections and reminders of the jolly times with family…songs such as A’Soalin, Snickelways of York, All For Me Grog, and Ule Lume Lagedale (Over Snowy Winter Roads), a traditional Estonian carol. More familiar selections will include John Rutter’s Somerset Wassail, Choose Something Like a Star from Randall Thompson’s Frostiana, and the hauntingly beautiful The Road Home by Ron Paulus. The program will conclude with upbeat and jazzy renditions of Jingle Bells and Sleigh Ride.

Tickets for both performances are $12.00 in advance available from Chorale members and through Brown Paper Tickets, or $15.00 at the door. 17 and under free.