Nova Singers, under the direction of Dr. Laura Lane, presents two performances of A Nova Christmas: Friday, December 20 at 7:30 p.m. at First Lutheran Church in Galesburg, and Saturday, December 21 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport, IA.

Escape from the hum-drum of daily life, the frenzy of holiday shopping and the pressure to do it all! Give yourself the gift of an hour of beauty, serenity, laughter and love with Nova Singers. A Nova Christmas features Christmas songs of all styles, including Jay Rouse's arrangement of O Holy Night and a Nova favorite, John Rutter's What Sweeter Music. Copi's Ave Maria and Memley's O Magnum Mysterium are sure to take your breath away. We also celebrate local talent, featuring Galesburg composer Carolyn Kellert's arrangement of Quelle est cette odeur agréable, with Jill Marasa on clarinet. And of course, it wouldn't be A Nova Christmas without an audience sing-along!

For the Galesburg concert, Nova Singers will be joined by the Galesburg High School Chamber Singers under the direction of Paula Helle for a special treat. The choir will perform two pieces of their own before combining with the Nova Singers for two beloved Christmas carols.

Artistic Director Laura Lane says that this Christmas concert is her favorite one yet: "I adore the music of Christmastime! These traditional songs we've heard all our lives make us feel nostalgic for the past and grateful for the present, all at the same time. I'm delighted to have found several new Christmas songs for this concert: two settings of Alma Redemptoris Mater by Palestrina and Victoria, full of timeless mystery, modern carols by Czech, Norwegian and Estonian composers, and, honestly, if you haven't heard Kevin Memley's O Magnum Mysterium, you won't believe its emotional power! I'm especially happy to have found an arrangement of O Holy Night that is stunning and perfect for Nova."

As if that weren't enough, Nova Singers announces the silent auction of the artist perceptions of Randall Thompson's Alleluia from the fall concert We Sing Life! The paintings by Nicholas Digioia and Julie Swanson Davis will be sold via silent auction starting now through the final concert of the 2013-2014 season. Anyone interested in bidding on one of these two paintings must attend a concert to do so. The winners will be announced at our spring concert, American Genius, April 4th and 6th.

Nova Singers, a professional vocal ensemble under the direction of Dr. Laura Lane, hopes to share our musical holiday spirit with you. Nova Singers is known for bringing a wide variety of choral music to its audiences, and for the beauty and charm the singers impart to their music. Dr. Lane has been serving the greater Galesburg and Quad-Cities communities since 1986, bringing her passion for music and expressive singing to audiences and singers alike.

Tickets will be available at the door. Admission is $18 for adults and $15 for seniors. Students are admitted free of charge. Nova Singers season tickets will still be available through this performance. For information about group rates, tickets, recordings, or other Nova Singers events, call 309-341-7038, or e-mail nova@knox.edu. Also, please take the opportunity to visit our Facebook page under the keywords 'Nova Singers'. A Nova Christmas is sponsored by Miller Dredge Insurance. Nova Singers' 2013-2014 season is partially funded by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.

CASI/PLUS 60 are hosting a dance this Friday, December 6, 2013 from 7:00-10:00 p.m. at CASI, 1035 W. Kimberly Road, Davenport. Music provided by The Night People, a musical group who plays 60's & 70's music. Come enjoy light snacks and a cash bar while dancing the night away!

Tickets are $8 in advanced at CASI and $10 at the door.

For more information, please call: Sarah Arp at CASI at: 563.386.7477, 229 (office) or 563.343.0038 (cell) or email at: sarp@casiseniors.org

CASI, 1035 West Kimberly Road, Davenport, Iowa. CASI is open Monday-Friday, 8am to 5pm. www.CasiSeniors.org

Five guys - five microphones - no instruments

Straight from NBC-TV's fourth season of The Sing-Off, the vocal band "Home Free" will appear at the Central Performing Arts Center in DeWitt, Friday, Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m.

The Sing-Off Season 4 debuts Monday, Dec. 9, at 8 p.m. and features ten a capella vocal groups, all competing for a $100,000 prize and a Sony Music recording contract.

Songs featured in season 4 will be available on iTunes the day after each telecast, but area folks can see "Home Free" in a live performance at the Central Performing Arts Center's auditorium.

The group hails from Mankato, Minn., and has traveled all over the world performing at everything from black-tie events to casual high school assemblies.

The award-winning "Home Free" is a distinctive combination of comedy and music featuring five male vocalists with extensive theatrical and musical training.

Each performance showcases a new experience that draws in their audiences and leaves them amazed. Their genre of music covers a wide mix of pop, jazz, classical and country ? all songs done with only the human voice and microphones, resulting in a truly unique and incredible sound.

The DeWitt performance, originally scheduled for Feb. 22, has been moved up to Valentine's Day because "Home Free" will be embarking on a six-week, 30-city arena tour with other Sing-Off contestants starting in mid February.

Tickets are on sale at DeWitt City Hall, online at <www.midwestix.com> and at the door one hour before the performance. Advance tickets are $23 for adults, and $5 for students; and $25 and $5 at the door.

A limited number of tickets for Valentine's Day dinner featuring cheesy ravioli, chicken Alfredo, salad, bread sticks, red velvet cake and chocolate covered strawberries, tea and coffee is available for $12.50 per person.

Davenport, IA- The Quad City Symphony Orchestra's December Masterworks concert presents a perfect pairing of fresh inspirations with romantic tradition. New to the Quad Cities' stage will be Alasdair Neale, hailing from the San Francisco Bay area. Neale will be leading the Quad City Symphony Orchestra as they accompany our beloved Concertmaster Naha Greenholtz in her performance of Jennifer Higdon's 2010 Pulitzer Prize-winning Violin Concerto. Greenholtz will be only the third violinist to perform this work. Then on the second half of the concert, this new work will be contrasted with Rachmaninoff's romantic masterpiece, his sweeping Symphony No. 2.

The concert will be performed on December 7 and 8. Saturday evening's concert will be held at the Adler Theatre in Davenport at 7:30 p.m., and followed on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. at Centennial Hall in Rock Island. Tickets for this concert can be purchased in person at the QCSO Box Office, 327 Brady Street in Davenport, by phone at 563.322.QCSO (7276), or online at www.qcsymphony.com.

Higdon completed her Violin Concerto in 2008, written for and dedicated to American violinist Hilary Hahn. Hahn then presented the premiere performance with the Indianapolis Symphony in 2009. The concerto was later honored with the Pulitzer Prize in Music for 2010. The New York Times described Higdon's Violin Concerto as "a showpiece in the classical Romantic style." This will be the second work by Jennifer Higdon to be performed by the QCSO, who performed her blue cathedral in 2007.

Alasdair Neale is Music Director of the Sun Valley Summer Symphony (SVSS), Music Director of the Marin Symphony Orchestra, and Principal Guest Conductor of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. In his nineteen years as Music Director of the SVSS, Neale has propelled this festival to national status: it is now the largest privately funded free admission symphony in America. Neale has also guest conducted the New York Philharmonic, Saint Louis Symphony, Houston Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Dallas Symphony, St. Paul Chamber, Rochester Philharmonic, and many other orchestras throughout the US and abroad. The Seattle Times said of Neale: "This is a conductor with a real sense of drama."

QCSO Concertmaster Naha Greenholtz was born in Kyoto, Japan, where she began her violin studies at age three. Since her solo debut at 14, concerto appearances have included engagements with the Vancouver Symphony, Quad City Symphony, Madison Symphony, and the National Repertory Orchestras in works ranging from Bach to Stravinsky. Greenholtz also serves as Artistic Director of the WVIK/QCSO Signature Series, a chamber music series dedicated to presenting world class performances to the Quad Cities. The River Cities' Reader said of Greenholtz' solo premiere with the QCSO, the "sweetness of sound within her lyrical approach was an attractive veil that enhanced deep technical strength."

On Friday, December 6, Alasdair Neale and Naha Greenholtz will present at the Inside the Music Luncheon, this time at the River Music Experience at 12:00 noon. This luncheon is hosted by Volunteers for Symphony. Inside the Music is a great place to grab a bite to eat for lunch and get the inside scoop on the upcoming performances. This is also a great opportunity for music lovers throughout the Quad Cities to meet the guest artists in person. For December only, the luncheon is just $10 and reservations can be made at www.qcsymphony.com or by calling 563.322.QCSO (7276).

Also on Friday, students are invited to sit in on a dress rehearsal and get the inside perspective through Students@Symphony. During a break in the rehearsal, the students will have an opportunity to meet both Guest Conductor Alasdair Neale and Concertmaster Naha Greenholtz. This program is open to any secondary or elementary student and supervising adults. Students should arrive at 7:30 p.m. and pre-register online at

Neale and Greenholtz will also be available during Concert Conversations, held in the concert hall an hour before each of the weekend's concerts. At Concert Conversations the audience is given a quick overview of the program they are about to experience. This look into the background of the concert's repertoire is led by Kai Swanson and has become and audience favorite.

Finally, after the Saturday night performance, the entire audience is invited to mingle with the guest artists, Concertmaster Naha Greenholtz, and many of the musicians of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra in the lobby of the Hotel Blackhawk at Afterglow. The evening includes free hors d'oeuvres, cash bar, and always remarkable repartee.

EVENT LISTING

Inside the Music Luncheon
Friday, December 6, at 12:00 noon
Reservations: $10
Contact: www.qcsymphony.com or 563.322.QCSO (7276)
River Music Experience, Davenport

Students@Symphony

Friday, December 6, at 7:30 p.m.

Registration: FREE

Contact: www.qcsymphony.com or 563.322.QCSO (7276)

Adler Theatre, Davenport

Concert Conversations

Saturday, December 7, at 6:30 p.m.

Adler Theatre, Davenport

Sponsored by Rich James, Wells Fargo Financial Advisors

Masterworks III

Saturday, December 7, at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $10-$50

Contact: www.qcsymphony.com or 563.322.QCSO (7276)

Adler Theatre, Davenport

Afterglow

Saturday, December 7, immediately following the concert

Hotel Blackhawk, adjacent to the Adler Theatre/RiverCenter

Concert Conversations

Sunday, December 8, at 1:00 p.m.

Centennial Hall, Rock Island

Sponsored by Rich James, Wells Fargo Financial Advisors

Masterworks III

Sunday, December 8, at 2:00 p.m.

Tickets: $10-$40

Contact: www.qcsymphony.com or 563.322.QCSO (7276)

Centennial Hall, Rock Island

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