Joanna Newsom and all enjoy Sierra Master Chorale & Orchestra holiday concert

We enjoyed the Sierra Master Chorale & Orchestra’s holiday concert on Sunday afternoon in Grass Valley. It was a sellout and the guests included harpist and singer-songwriter Joanna Newsom, a Nevada City native whose mom sings in the chorus.

We visited briefly with Joanna at intermission; talked about her enjoyment of the New Moon Cafe; a recent article about her in the New York Times; and her Big Sur wedding, where she married comedian Andy Samberg. Our friend and neighbor was one of the guests. Joanna is very gracious and low key and loves her hometown.

The holiday concert was marvelous. Though I wish western Nevada County had its own dedicated concert hall — a “mini-Mondavi” if you will — we enjoy the acoustics at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Grass Valley. The program was innovative, with both the old and the new to celebrate for the holidays.

It included “Fantasia on Greensleeves” and one of my all-time favorites, “March of the Toys” by Victor Herbert. There was a “sing along” with “O Come All Ye Faithful” and “White Christmas.”

Ken Hardin, InConcert Sierra’s artistic director and founding conductor of Sierra Master Chorale, does a marvelous job and is such a relaxed, unassuming musical talent. He joked that the program included compositions from two living composers — the exception, not the rule, when it comes to classical music. He cited Mendelssohn’s “There Shall a Star Come Out of Jacob” as “the rule.”

But Jerry Grant was in the audience to hear his arrangement “Rejoyce: Fantasia on a Hymn of John Reynolds” and Assistant Music Director for the Sierra Master Chorale conducted his “Dances of the Season.” It was the premier, and it was an excellent compilation of holiday music.

“My own composition features all your favorite carols, but in the guise of popular dances, as if they were all attending a costume ball,” Toon explained.

The orchestra did a fabulous job. I joked to Ken that the risers and stage extensions keep extending to accommodate them. The women in the chorus wore beautiful corsages handmade by one of the chorus members.

InConcert Sierra rings in the new year with a strong program. Next up is one of the most celebrated violists, Jennifer Stumm.

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