Our Holiday Pops Concert returns, a beloved family favorite, with the Cape Ann Symphony Chorus under the joyful direction of Brittany Betts. Multiple performances, all filled with warmth and cheer.
Carols and classics. Leroy Anderson’s joyful Christmas Festival opens the celebration, alongside Alfred Reed’s gorgeous setting of the timeless Greensleeves and Sebesky’s playful Christmas Scherzo. Tchaikovsky’s beloved Nutcracker Selections carry us through Clara’s enchanted world, with the spirited Trepak, the elegant Waltz of the Flowers, and the charming character dances.
The Festival of Lights. Custer’s grand Chanukah Festival returns in full orchestral splendor. The Chorus joins with the radiant Tzadik Katamar Yifrach, a setting of the psalm verse “the righteous shall flourish like the palm tree,” and Harnick and Shire’s luminous Everlasting Light.
Voices of the season. The Chorus brings the festive Masters in the Hall, a tender arrangement of Vince Guaraldi’s Christmas Time Is Here, the jubilant Sing Noel, and Craig Courtney’s witty A Musicological Journey Through the Twelve Days of Christmas, which sends the familiar carol on a romp through the styles of history’s great composers.
And then, everyone sings. The concert closes with a sing-along that brings the whole audience together in the spirit of the season, the perfect way to celebrate the holidays with your community.
Featured artist
Brittany Betts
Director, Cape Ann Symphony Chorus
Brittany Betts leads the Cape Ann Symphony Chorus, carrying forward a family legacy of choral excellence on Cape Ann. A Rockport native, she succeeds her mother, Wendy Betts, who shaped the chorus over sixteen seasons as its longtime director. Brittany made her Cape Ann Symphony debut leading the chorus at the beloved Holiday Pops concerts, joining Music Director Yoichi Udagawa and the orchestra for the season's most festive tradition.
"I am honored to be carrying on the tradition of choral excellence with the Cape Ann Symphony Chorus that my mom, Wendy Betts, so beautifully crafted for sixteen years," she says. Guided by a belief that music has the power to bring people together for good, Brittany brings beauty, skill, and joy to every performance — and a warm welcome to singers across the community who wish to raise their voices with the chorus.
Getting there
Before the downbeat
Venues
Dolan Performing Arts Center
134 High Street, Ipswich MA 01938
Manchester Essex Regional High School
36 Lincoln Street, Manchester-By-The-Sea MA 01944
Doors
45 minutes before curtain
Please plan to be seated 5 minutes before the performance begins. Late seating is at the house manager's discretion.
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Pick a performance
Dolan Performing Arts Center
Ipswich, MA
Add to calendar
11/28/2026 02:00 PM
11/28/2026 05:00 PM
America/New_York
CAS: 2026 Holiday Pops
Cape Ann Symphony
info@capeannsymphony.org
90
Cape Ann Symphony presents 2026 Holiday Pops
Dolan Performing Arts Center, 134 High Street, Ipswich MA 01938
About Dolan Performing Arts Center →
Manchester Essex Regional High School
Manchester-By-The-Sea, MA
Add to calendar
11/28/2026 07:30 PM
11/28/2026 10:30 PM
America/New_York
CAS: 2026 Holiday Pops
Cape Ann Symphony
info@capeannsymphony.org
90
Cape Ann Symphony presents 2026 Holiday Pops
Manchester Essex Regional High School, 36 Lincoln Street, Manchester-By-The-Sea MA 01944
About Manchester Essex Regional High School →
Manchester Essex Regional High School
Manchester-By-The-Sea, MA
Add to calendar
11/29/2026 02:00 PM
11/29/2026 05:00 PM
America/New_York
CAS: 2026 Holiday Pops
Cape Ann Symphony
info@capeannsymphony.org
90
Cape Ann Symphony presents 2026 Holiday Pops
Manchester Essex Regional High School, 36 Lincoln Street, Manchester-By-The-Sea MA 01944
About Manchester Essex Regional High School →
