Get into the Christmas spirit early this year at Westmont’s Third Annual Christmas Festival. The free program will feature traditional and contemporary holiday music performed by Westmont’s Chamber Orchestra and multiple choirs, as well as dance, dramatic readings and visual art.
The Westmont student dance company, The Windancers, presents “Change” Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 15-17 at 8 p.m. in Porter Theatre. The dance recital will feature original pieces set to contemporary music, followed by a talk-back with the dancers and choreographers. Admission is $10, $5 for students and seniors.
Three intimate concerts on Westmont’s campus next week provide a chance to hear excellent music up close and get to know talented young musicians. Each event is free and open to the public.
The Composers’ Concert Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 8 p.m. in Deane Chapel will highlight original compositions by students. Faculty and students will collaborate in the performances, resulting in an eclectic and exciting evening of new music.
Local radio station KDB (93.7 FM) will be feature American Double on Santa Barbara in Concert, Sunday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. in a performance recorded Oct. 19 at Montecito Covenant Church.
Westmont professor and Santa Barbara author Marilyn Chandler McEntyre has recently released the third of three volumes of poems on the work of Dutch artists, Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Van Gogh. “In Quiet Light,” “Drawn to the Light,” and “The Color of Light,” offer readers reflections on their paintings.
Santa Barbara school board members axed many music programs this year due to budget constraints, following a nationwide trend of focusing on academics while neglecting the arts. Michael Shasberger, Westmont’s Adams professor of music and worship, will speak on “Reading, Writing and Music: Why Music Belongs at the Center of the Curriculum,” Thursday, Nov. 8, at 5:30 p.m. at the University Club, 1332 Santa Barbara St.