Classical

Inverse Opera A reprise of their staged, theatrical Messiah, launched last year. Runs 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat. plus some matinees; see theinverseopera.com for exact schedule. Ends Dec. 20. Isaac Studio Theatre, 208 N. 85th St. $25-$30 Friday, December 19, 2014

Northwest Boychoir The traditional Festival of Lessons and Carols at venues all over Seattle, Dec. 12-14 and 19-23; see nwboychoir.org for complete info. Various locations, $10-$25 Friday, December 19, 2014

Pacific MusicWorks Three Bach cantatas, sections of his Christmas Oratorio. Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 4400 86th Ave. S.E., Mercer Island, 7:30 p.m. Wed., Dec. 17, and St. James Cathedral, 804 Ninth Ave., 8 p.m. Fri., Dec. 19.  St. James Cathedral, 804 9th AveSeattle, WA 98104 $10-$40 Friday, December 19, 2014, 8pm

Seattle Choral Company “On Christmas Night.”  Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, 1245 10th Ave. E. $25 Friday, December 19, 2014, 8pm

Seattle Symphony Cristian Macelaru conducts Messiah. 8 p.m. Fri., Dec. 19; 1 & 8 p.m. Sat., Dec. 20; 2 p.m. Sun., Dec. 21. $23 and up Friday, December 19, 2014, 8pm

Inverse Opera A reprise of their staged, theatrical Messiah, launched last year. Runs 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat. plus some matinees; see theinverseopera.com for exact schedule. Ends Dec. 20. Isaac Studio Theatre, 208 N. 85th St. $25-$30 Saturday, December 20, 2014

Northwest Boychoir The traditional Festival of Lessons and Carols at venues all over Seattle, Dec. 12-14 and 19-23; see nwboychoir.org for complete info. Various locations, $10-$25 Saturday, December 20, 2014

Seattle Symphony Cristian Macelaru conducts Messiah. 8 p.m. Fri., Dec. 19; 1 & 8 p.m. Sat., Dec. 20; 2 p.m. Sun., Dec. 21. $23 and up Saturday, December 20, 2014, 1pm

Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra Their annual revival of Duke Ellington’s Sacred Music concerts of the ‘60s. Benaroya Recital Hall, 200 University St., Seattle, WA 98101 $14-$38 Saturday, December 20, 2014, 7:30pm

Medieval Women’s Choir Music by Hildegard of Bingen and other Christmas works. Seattle Public Library, 1000 Fourth Ave., noon, Thurs., Dec. 18 (free), and St. James Cathedral, 804 Ninth Ave., 8 p.m. Sat., Dec. 20 ($25-$30).  St. James Cathedral, 804 9th AveSeattle, WA 98104 $25-$30 Saturday, December 20, 2014, 8pm

Seattle Symphony Cristian Macelaru conducts Messiah. 8 p.m. Fri., Dec. 19; 1 & 8 p.m. Sat., Dec. 20; 2 p.m. Sun., Dec. 21. $23 and up Saturday, December 20, 2014, 8pm

Northwest Boychoir The traditional Festival of Lessons and Carols at venues all over Seattle, Dec. 12-14 and 19-23; see nwboychoir.org for complete info. Various locations, $10-$25 Sunday, December 21, 2014

Seattle Symphony Cristian Macelaru conducts Messiah. 8 p.m. Fri., Dec. 19; 1 & 8 p.m. Sat., Dec. 20; 2 p.m. Sun., Dec. 21. $23 and up Sunday, December 21, 2014, 2pm

The Lowest Arc Nat Evans’ site-specific performance. <a href=”http://www.seattleweekly.com/arts/955836-129/ear-supply-just-a-song-at” target=”_blank”>See Ear Supply</a>. ALL RISE, 1250 Denny Way Free Sunday, December 21, 2014, 4pm

Mark O’Connor The master fiddler (and Suzuki skeptic) presents “An Appalachian Christmas.” Meany Hall for the Performing Arts, UW Campus, Seattle, WA 98105 $10-$55 Sunday, December 21, 2014, 7pm

North Corner Chamber Orchestra Maybe it’s just that they played in a church-but many local small orchestras do, and they don’t evoke the magic of the pathbreaking, venerable Academy of St Martin in the Fields quite like NOCCO did at its November debut. There’s a lot of chamber-orchestra repertory you probably first encountered thanks to the Academy (founded in London in 1959) and its large discography-and NOCCO’s first concert evoked that same arresting sense of excitement and discovery, as if I were hearing those Handel, Britten, and Shostakovich pieces for the first time. Conductorless (which may have something to do with it), and founded on a core of about 20 string players (adding winds and brass as needed), NOCCO’s zing and polish will be tonight deployed in three of Bach’s “Brandenburg” Concertos: the Third, with its thrilling, torrential string writing; the Fourth, a pastoral interlude with a tootling pair of recorders as soloists; and the Fifth, with its wild, rhapsodic, slightly unhinged harpsichord cadenza.  Magnolia United Church of Christ, 3555 W. McGraw St. $10-$20 Sunday, December 21, 2014, 7:30pm

Seattle Men’s Chorus For many, it wouldn’t be Christmas without their holiday show. 7:30 p.m. Sun., Dec. 21-Mon., Dec. 22. Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., Seattle, WA 98101 $28-$78 Sunday, December 21, 2014, 7:30pm

Compline Services A half-hour meditation each week with the eight-voice Renaissance Singers. Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, 1245 10th Ave. E. Free Sunday, December 21, 2014, 9:30pm

Northwest Boychoir The traditional Festival of Lessons and Carols at venues all over Seattle, Dec. 12-14 and 19-23; see nwboychoir.org for complete info. Various locations, $10-$25 Monday, December 22, 2014

Seattle Men’s Chorus For many, it wouldn’t be Christmas without their holiday show. 7:30 p.m. Sun., Dec. 21-Mon., Dec. 22. Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., Seattle, WA 98101 $28-$78 Monday, December 22, 2014, 7:30pm

Northwest Boychoir The traditional Festival of Lessons and Carols at venues all over Seattle, Dec. 12-14 and 19-23; see nwboychoir.org for complete info. Various locations, $10-$25 Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Messiah You are the choir and orchestra in this sing- and play-along version. Or just listen. Karen P. Thomas conducts. University Unitarian Church, 6556 35th Ave NESeattle, WA 98115 $13-$18 Friday, December 26, 2014, 7pm

Tudor Choir Getting an early start on next Christmas with an evening of Holst, Vaughan Williams, and traditional carols. Blessed Sacrament Church, 5041 Ninth Ave. N.E. $20-$30 Saturday, December 27, 2014, 7:30pm

Byron Schenkman and Friends Ignacio Prego joins Schenkman for Bach concertos for one or two harpsichords. Benaroya Recital Hall, 200 University St., Seattle, WA 98101 $10-$42 Sunday, December 28, 2014, 7pm

Candlelight Concerts “Jazzin’ With the Classics” swings your Xmas favorites. University Unitarian Church, 6556 35th Ave NESeattle, WA 98115 Freewill offering Sunday, December 28, 2014, 7:30pm

Compline Services A half-hour meditation each week with the eight-voice Renaissance Singers. Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, 1245 10th Ave. E. Free Sunday, December 28, 2014, 9:30pm

Seattle Symphony The traditional Beethoven’s Ninth for the new year, with Mozart’s Symphony no. 31 as a rich hors-d’oeuvre. 9 p.m. Wed., Dec. 31 ($52 and up, with post-concert party); 8 p.m. Fri., Jan. 2 & Sat., Jan. 3; 2 p.m. Sun., Jan. 4 ($28 and up). Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., Seattle, WA 98101 $52 and up Wednesday, December 31, 2014, 9pm

Seattle Symphony The traditional Beethoven’s Ninth for the new year, with Mozart’s Symphony no. 31 as a rich hors-d’oeuvre. 9 p.m. Wed., Dec. 31 ($52 and up, with post-concert party); 8 p.m. Fri., Jan. 2 & Sat., Jan. 3; 2 p.m. Sun., Jan. 4 ($28 and up). Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., Seattle, WA 98101 $28 and up Friday, January 2, 2015, 8pm

Seattle Symphony The traditional Beethoven’s Ninth for the new year, with Mozart’s Symphony no. 31 as a rich hors-d’oeuvre. 9 p.m. Wed., Dec. 31 ($52 and up, with post-concert party); 8 p.m. Fri., Jan. 2 & Sat., Jan. 3; 2 p.m. Sun., Jan. 4 ($28 and up). Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., Seattle, WA 98101 $28 and up Saturday, January 3, 2015, 8pm

Seattle Symphony The traditional Beethoven’s Ninth for the new year, with Mozart’s Symphony no. 31 as a rich hors-d’oeuvre. 9 p.m. Wed., Dec. 31 ($52 and up, with post-concert party); 8 p.m. Fri., Jan. 2 & Sat., Jan. 3; 2 p.m. Sun., Jan. 4 ($28 and up). Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., Seattle, WA 98101 $28 and up Sunday, January 4, 2015, 2pm

Compline Services A half-hour meditation each week with the eight-voice Renaissance Singers. Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, 1245 10th Ave. E. Free Sunday, January 4, 2015, 9:30pm

Compline Services A half-hour meditation each week with the eight-voice Renaissance Singers. Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, 1245 10th Ave. E. Free Sunday, January 11, 2015, 9:30pm