PORTSMOUTH – Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra (PSO) performs two Holiday Pops! Global Holiday concerts on Saturday, December 18 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, December 19 at 3 p.m. at Portsmouth High School.

An annual family favorite, this year’s PSO Holiday Pops! performances include special guest Randy Armstrong and WorldBeat Marimba. The program includes classics such as “Sleigh Ride” and “A Christmas Overture”, “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch”, “The Polar Express: Concert Overture”, “The Hanukah Overture” and others like as well as special arrangements of South African and Zimbabwean songs by Randy Armstrong that celebrate humanity.

Randy Armstrong and WorldBeat Marimba perform South African, Zimbabwean and popular songs on handmade South African marimbas, steel pans from Trinidad / Tobago and percussion instruments from around the world. Their previous collaborative concerts have included performances with choirs Voices From The Heart, Ben Baldwin and the Stairwells, Songweavers and the WorldBeat Marimba Singers.

“We’re thrilled to have another chance to collaborate with Randy Armstrong, who was PSO’s Artist in Residence during our 2017-18 season,” said John Page, Music Director of PSO. “This year’s Holiday Pops! will be the same holiday celebration tradition that our audiences love, but will include additional songs that celebrate the holidays around the world.

Holiday Pops Tickets! shows cost $ 30 for adults, $ 25 for seniors, and $ 15 for students and can be purchased on the OSP website.

Founded in 1997, the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra is made up of more than 65 local professionals, educators, dedicated amateurs and advanced students, all of whom, without exception, must be fully immunized. For performances at Portsmouth High School, face masks are mandatory for all concert attendees, regardless of their immunization status.

In addition to the Holiday Pops! Performances, PSO’s 2021-2022 season includes four full symphonic concerts at Music Hall; and the new six Up Close and Personal concerts featuring the PSO @ Jimmy’s chamber music series. For more information on the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra and the 2021-2022 season, please visit www.portsmouthsymphony.org.