The renowned Yale Glee Club will visit Bethlehem on its winter tour, performing on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, which is located at 2344 Center St.
The Bach Choir of Bethlehem will join the club for a special evening of choral music, which will also feature the church’s Chancel Choir, Lehigh Valley High School Singers, and the Concord Chamber Singers.
Jeffrey Douma is the club’s director.
From its earliest days as a group of 13 men from the Class of 1861 to its current incarnation as an 80-voice all-gender chorus, the club, Yale’s principal undergraduate mixed chorus and oldest musical organization, has represented the best in collegiate choral music.
The club’s repertoire embraces a broad spectrum of music from the 16th century to the present, including motets, contemporary works, music from folk traditions around the world, and traditional Yale songs.
Admission is free. Free-will donations will be accepted to support the guest choirs.
Kutztown bagpipes
The Kutztown Pipe Band and the Kutztown Folk Music Society will present “Bagpipes Around the World” at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, which is located at 47 S. Whiteoak St. in Kutztown, Berks County.
The pipe band is made up of Kutztown University professors, employees, and students, along with local musicians.
Wearing authentic Scottish kilts, the band members provide explanations and demonstrations as they perform.
Starting in fall 2017 with a group of five dedicated and enthusiastic intro-to-piping students, the Kutztown Pipe Band has grown to include approximately two dozen members, and it has become a performance group, with the debut performance at the Kutztown Memorial Day Parade in 2019.
Doors will open at 6:30 pm
The parking lot for the church is on Lambert Alley, and the handicapped-accessible entrance to the sanctuary is just off the lot.
Admission is a $10 donation for adults and $8 for seniors, students and military. The fee is waived for those 12 and under.
Chamber music in Reading
The Friends of Chamber Music of Reading brings back the acclaimed Daedalus Quartet for its fifth appearance in Reading at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at the the WCR Center for the Arts, which is located at 140 N. Fifth St.
The New Yorker has praised the quartet as “a fresh and vital young participant in what is a golden age of American string quartets.” It will be joined by Wyomissing native Matthew Bengtson on piano to perform Brahms’ Quintet for Piano & Strings in F minor, Op. 34, and the premiere of “Measure” by Luke Carlson, whose music The Philadelphia Inquirer has described as “magical” and “otherworldly,” and concludes with Brahms’ monumental F minor Piano Quintet.
Also featured on the program is String Quartet in One Movement, Op. 89 by Amy Beach.
This concert is presented in memory of David Thun.
No tickets are needed for the performance.
Audience members can meet the musicians at a post-concert dessert reception.
Parking is available in the lot of Trinity Lutheran Church, which can be entered from North Fifth Street.
Bach at Noon
The Bach Choir of Bethlehem
The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, under the direction of Christopher Jackson, will present Bach at Noon, at noon on Jan. 13 at Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem.
The concert will feature selections from Bach’s vast vocal and instrumental repertoire alongside works by his contemporaries and musical heirs.
The concert can also be heard on WWFM and watched on YouTube.
For information, go to bach.org.
Ice Cream Wars
A delicious way to celebrate the new year is at Ice Cream Wars 15, which will be presented on Saturday at Da Vinci Science Center at PPL Pavilion in Allentown.
The event, which has become the center’s signature science event, is an ice cream flavor competition in which recipes created by Lehigh Valley companies are turned into edible samples using liquid nitrogen, which flash freezes the ingredients at -321 degrees Fahrenheit. Visitors can taste the flavors and vote for the Ice Cream Wars champion. Tasting will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., when the winners will be announced.
Teams begin working months in advance to perfect their flavors, create costumes, and select themes for their team. Awards are given for creativity and spirit.
Defending champion is Alvin H. Butz Inc., which won last year with its blueprint blend flavor.
This year’s winning flavor will be available for sale at The Udder Bar for a limited time in February.
Ice Cream Wars is included with admission of $14.95 for age 3 and up.
Twelfth Night returns to Christ Church
A 42-year-old community tradition will return this weekend to Christ Lutheran Church, which is located at 1245 W. Hamilton St. in Allentown.
Held around the 12th day after Christmas, the Twelfth Night Festival is modeled on medieval pageants and feasts. The production includes hundreds of volunteer cast members from the congregation and the community, both in costume and behind the scenes. The church choir is accompanied by more than two dozen volunteer singers from other congregations and by a professional chamber orchestra. The William Allen High School Dancers and the Bethlehem Bagpipe Band are part of the production.
The pageant stands as a continuing memorial to Eleanor D. Kramp, whose inspiration and foresight began the festival and helped male the yearly celebration into a gift for the congregation and the community.
The performance is free to attend, but tickets are required, and shows fill up.
Performances will be at 1 and 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
To inquire about tickets or to get on the mailing list for next year, call 610-433-4271 or email info@christ-atown.org.
Bethlehem Soup Saunter
Visitors to downtown Bethlehem’s historic district can warm their spirits as they wander the cozy streets on Saturday, sampling steamy soups from some of their favorite spots during Soup Saunter. They can then cast their vote for the tastiest creation.
Each “saunter” takes about 90 minutes and begins at 74 W. Broad St., Suite 240 (same floor as Edge Restaurant). Participants can pick up their “soup passport” and map and begin their tasting adventure.
At each stop, participants will show their passport for a soup sample and then meander to the next destination with their warm cup in hand. Once finished, they can vote by scanning the QR code on the card. Voting will be open until 8 p.m. on Sunday.
Trail participants are Twisted Olive, Edge Restaurant, A Couple Craves, Tavern at the Sun Inn, Seasons Olive Oil and Vinegar Taproom, Kaleidoscope Collective, Fegley’s Bethlehem Brew Works, Schropp Dry Goods Shoppe, Nurse Wellness, Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop, Main St Real Estate Group, Franklin Hill Vineyards, 515 Main Sports Bar, and The Melting Pot of Bethlehem.
ABBA tribute at State
Mania: the ABBA Tribute, the world’s number-one touring ABBA tribute, will appear at the State Theatre in Easton on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Since forming in 1999, Mania has been selling out theaters and concert halls worldwide, sharing the magic of ABBA with fans everywhere. In 2024, the iconic Swedish pop group celebrated the 50th anniversary of its breakthrough hit single, “Waterloo.”
From “Dancing Queen” to “Mamma Mia,” the show transports audiences back to the disco era. With stunning visuals, electrifying performances, and all of ABBA’s greatest hits.
Tickets cost $38.45 to $48.95.