The Bach Choir of Bethlehem
For the first time ever, The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, America’s oldest Bach choir, and the Allentown Band, America’s oldest civilian concert band, will join for a combined performance.
The Bach Choir and the Allentown Band will present “Americans We Tribute to Veterans” holiday concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday at Miller Symphony Hall in Allentown.
The free concert will honor all veterans, including honorees selected by the Lehigh Valley Veterans History Project representing World War II, the Korean conflict, and the wars in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
The centerpiece of this year’s concert is “A Testament of Freedom,” composed by Randall Thompson in 1943. Thompson set passages from the writings of Thomas Jefferson to music to honor the bicentennial of Jefferson’s birth. The four-movement piece uses texts from Jefferson’s writings, including “A Summary View of the Rights of British America” and his “Declaration of Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms.”
The program also will include Ryan Nowlin’s “Let Freedom Ring,” Claude T. Smith’s “Eternal Father Strong to Save (Melita),” and “A Rhapsody on Christmas Carols;” Alfred Reed’s “A Christmas Intrada,” John Williams’ “Hymn to the Fallen” from “Saving Private Ryan,” Hayman/Reisteter’s “Salute to the Armed Forces,” and John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever.”
There also will be special honors and recognition of individual veterans.
The Allentown Band is conducted by Ronald Demkee; The Bach Choir is conducted by Christopher Jackson.
Tickets are free but must be reserved online.
Allentown Band
Pulitzer Prize play at Lehigh
The Lehigh University Department of Theatre will present “The Flick” at Zoellner Arts Center, which is located at 420 E. Packer Ave. in Bethlehem.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for drama, “The Flick,” written by Annie Baker, captures the quiet beauty of everyday life. Set in a crumbling movie theater, this masterfully observed play follows three employees as they sweep popcorn and navigate the delicate terrain of friendship, heartbreak, and longing for something more. Lehigh University senior Zoë Miller directs.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Nov. 14 and 15 and Nov. 19, 20, and 21, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Tickets cost $12. The Nov. 19 performance is pay-what-you-wish.
City mouse in Easton
Lafayette College’s theater department will present “Stuart Little” on Saturday at Weiss Theater in Buck Hall, which is located at 219 N. Third St. in Easton.
Joseph Robinette has adapted a charming version of the beloved E. B. White story of Stuart Little, the New York City mouse with a human family.
The play, featuring members of the theater 335 class, will be presented to students in the Easton Area School District in celebration of Lafayette’s 200th anniversary of rewarding collaborations with the surrounding community.
The two performances, at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m., will be free and open to the public (appropriate for audiences ages 5 and up).
The endearing classic is about a mouse named Stuart, who is born into an ordinary New York family. All the charm, wisdom, and joy of the E.B. White original are captured in this adaptation by Robinette, who also dramatized the highly acclaimed stage version of “Charlotte’s Web.” The many adventures of Stuart are brought vividly to life in this story theater presentation. The acting ensemble plays many human and animal roles in a series of delightful scenes that make up the marvelous maneuverings of a mild-mannered mouse trying to survive in a “real people’s world.”
“Stuart Little” is directed by Mary Jo Lodge.
RSO at Santander
The Reading Symphony Orchestra will perform “Eine kleine Nachtmusik & Elgar Cello Concerto” at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Santander Performing Arts Center, which is located at 136 N. Sixth St. in downtown Reading.
An evening of elegance and passion awaits as Mozart’s beloved “Eine kleine Nachtmusik” sets the stage for Elgar’s deeply expressive Cello Concerto, performed by cellist Amy Ward Butler.
The audience can immerse itself in the warmth and lyricism of Brahms’ sweeping Symphony No. 2, a radiant masterpiece of warmth and grandeur that balances pastoral beauty with symphonic power. Often called his “sunny symphony,” this work unfolds with rich melodies, soaring orchestration, and a sense of calm optimism, culminating in a jubilant finale.
Featured will be a special guest appearance by the RSO’s youth orchestra. Andrew Constantine is conductor.
Tickets start at $25.
Magic of Broadway
The Reading Choral Society will present “The Magic of Broadway” at 4 p.m. on Sunday at Trinity Lutheran Church, which is located at 201 Washington St. in downtown Reading.
Under the direction of music director, Graham Bier, the society will be singing many favorite Broadway tunes, including selections from “Wicked” and “Hamilton.”
Soloists will be society members. Accompanist is Mary Bishop.
The church’s parking lot entrance is on North Fifth Street.
Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for students.
Celtic band in Emmaus
St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Emmaus, Lehigh County, will host “An Evening of Celtic Music with Poor Man’s Gambit” at 7 p.m. on Friday. The church is located at 150 Elm St.
The event will feature traditional Celtic music with Poor Man’s Gambit, a local favorite known for lively jigs and soulful ballads.
Poor Man’s Gambit is a trio that blends Celtic tradition with modern energy, featuring fiddle, accordion, guitar, and lively foot percussion.
Tickets cost $15. All proceeds support St. Margaret’s programs and community outreach.
JCC goes to Oz
Stagemakers, the youth theater group at the Jewish Community Center in Allentown, will stage “The Wizard of Oz.” The JCC is located at 702 N. 22nd St.
The audience will join Dorothy and her loyal companion Toto as they “Follow the Yellow Brick Road” through the Land of Oz, determined to reach the Emerald City, where the great and powerful Wizard of Oz will help them get home. Of course, along the way, Dorothy encounters witches (both good and bad), Munchkins, talking trees, and winged monkeys. But most importantly, she befriends three unique characters, a scarecrow with no brain, a tin man with no heart, and a lion with no “nerve.” Their journey to happiness and self-awareness is a glowing testament to friendship, understanding, and hope in a world filled with both beauty and ugliness.
Tickets cost $15.
Performances will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday and at noon and 4 p.m. on Sunday.