Chorale, orchestra hosting holiday concerts

The Pend Oreille Chorale and Chamber Orchestra will present two free concerts in North Idaho today, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 15, at 2 p.m. at First Lutheran Church.

The chorale will open with Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo's "Prelude," based on 12th-century church music. It will be followed by Felix Mendelssohn's romantic "Jubilate."

Greg Mabry's 2009 "Prayer of St. Francis," accompanied by Annie Welle, will precede Ludwig van Beethoven's energetic "Dona Nobis Pacem" (Grant Us Peace). Before intermission, two movements of Antonin Dvorak's string trio will feature violinists Gayle McCutchan and Janet Peterson, and violist Marcy Hogan.

After intermission, the program includes George Frideric Handel's "Eternal Source of Light Divine" with string orchestra. Soloists Deanna Benton and Amelia Polocz will alternate performances, with trumpet player Aryan Riener.

Arvo Part's "Spiegel im Spiegel" (Mirror in Mirror), performed by McCutchan on violin and Caren Reiner on piano, will be followed by Alessandro Scarlatti's Baroque "Concerto in G Minor" with three contrasting movements.

Edward Elgar's emotional "Nimrod" and Max Reger's trio for violin, viola and flute, performed by Alisha Dawson, will round out the program.

The concert will close with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Jubilate Deo" (Be Joyful Unto the Lord), performed by the chorale and chamber orchestra.

"This will send you out the door feeling upbeat and positive," said choral director Caren Reiner. "We all need that especially now."

The concerts are free and open to the public.