Opportunities Outside of the Weekend 

Those six shows will have to hold you ‘til Tuesday, when the 42^nd annual Messiah Sing Along takes place at 7:30 pm in the First Presbyterian Church, a Santa Barbara holiday tradition that benefits Unity Shoppe. Phillip McLendon conducts a performance of Handel’s choral masterpiece – the Christmas portion plus the “Hallelujah” chorus and “Worthy is the Lamb/Amen” – wielding the baton for the orchestra composed of members of the Santa Barbara City College Symphony. Erin Bonski-Evans is the organist and four decorated professional singers – soprano Nichole Dechaine, alto Max Potter, tenor Lorenzo Johnson, Jr., and bass Matthew Peterson – will handle Handel’s demanding solos. The audience serves as the chorus in the much-heralded highlight of the holiday season. 

For pre-weekend singing, there’s the Prime Time Band – the community orchestra with a decades-spanning age range – contributing to the choral cavalcade with its Downtown Santa Barbara Holiday Concert and Sing-Along at 6 pm on Friday night, right there on the State Street steps of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Amanda Elliott serves as featured solo artist and will also lead the audience in a medley of sing-alongs holiday tunes, and the Dos Pueblos High School Choir, directed by Courtney Anderson, will also perform.