Musical sounds of the holiday season will soon be reverberating across Kentucky with concerts and performances aimed at getting listeners in a festive mood.
The offerings range from an underground choir concert at Mammoth Cave National Park to performances of traditional Shaker Christmas songs at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, an international choral festival in Louisville and holiday musical revues at Renfro Valley Entertainment Center and Badgett Playhouse in Grand Rivers.
Whatever your musical tastes, you’ll find a concert or performance to suit them. Here are a just a few examples of what’s in store in Kentucky during coming weeks:
Mammoth Cave’s 34th annual Cave Sing will be held Sunday, Dec. 1. Participants will depart from the visitor center at 2 p.m. CST for this free event in the acoustically rich cave. The Caveman Chorus, an a cappella group, will perform, as well as an instrumental ensemble. Capacity is limited. For information, call 270-758-2180 or visit www.nps.gov/maca/.
On Saturday Dec. 7, the Pleasant Hill Singers will present three performances of “The Simple Gifts of Christmas” concert in the Meeting House at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. Enjoy this special choral performance that tells the story of how the Shakers celebrated Christmas. For more details on Shaker Village holiday programs, call 800-734-5611 or visit www.shakervillageky.org.
Kick off the holiday season on a high note during Thanksgiving weekend, with Sing ’N’ Joy, an international choral festival and competition. The event will be staged Nov. 29-Dec. 1 at Louisville’s Galt House Hotel, the Kentucky Center and other downtown venues. The festival is part of Christmas at the Galt House, which was named one of the top 100 events of 2013 by the American Bus Association. For ticket information, call 502-584-7777 or visit http://www.kentuckycenter.org/Events/Sing-N-Joy/11109#tab-show-information-link.
At Badgett Playhouse in Grand Rivers on Kentucky Lake, five musical revues will celebrate the holidays during November and December. Professional musicians, singers and dancers will present the Variety! Christmas Spectacular, a two-hour compendium of classic seasonal tunes, as well as the new Downhome Country Christmas Show, Big Band Christmas, Sanders Family Christmas and Tuna Christmas. For tickets, call 888-362-4223 or visit http://www.grandriversvariety.com.
Meanwhile, top off your holiday season with the famous Christmas in the Valley at Renfro Valley Entertainment Center. The 2013 production, which runs Nov. 15-Dec. 22, includes “The Christmas Guest,” a heartwarming story, along with seasonal songs and comedy routines. Call 800-765-7464 or visit www.renfrovalley.com/christmas2013/ for tickets.
So, get in the spirit of the season with a holiday music presentation in Kentucky. It’s that time of the year!
For more ideas, visit www.kentuckytourism.com.