Hallelujah, Christmas is Here

Veteran music director JoAnne Wasserman was clearly in her element when the Santa Barbara Choral Society staged its sixth annual Hallelujah Project at the Lobero.

The concert, which of course included Handel’s uplifting Hallelujah Chorus, was a glorious Yuletide miscellany of seasonal cheer featuring the Goleta Valley Junior High Chorus, with Sound of Music actress Angela Cartwright narrating “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.”

The two-hour show also featured Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols with baritone soloist Tyler Reece and Randol Alan Bass‘ arrangement of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas.

A beautiful evening, particularly given one of last year’s performances had to be cancelled because of the Thomas Fire.