The holiday season begins with beautiful songs and instrumentals from throughout the British Isles. This group of five men, known to audiences nationwide for their award-winning recordings and regular appearances on A Prairie Home Companion, blends technical brilliance with warmth and wit. Their concerts combine family appeal, historical intrigue and engaging musicianship with a “touch of the different” and a “wee bit of fantasy.”

Merrill Auditorium, Portland      PCAGreatPerformances.org

Leo Lionni's Swimmy · Frederick · Inch by Inch family series
This delightful new Canadian production, drawn from Leo Lionni's exquisitely crafted Caldecott Honor books, features innovative puppetry styles, imaginative lighting techniques and an original musical score. These are the stories of Swimmy, a tiny fish who uses ingenuity to fight off danger; of Frederick, a poetically inclined mouse; and of a lovable inchworm who delights in sharing his facility for measuring things. Geared toward ages 3–7.

Saturday, December 8 @  2:00 and 4:00 p.m.
All Tickets $10
South Portland Auditorium at S.P.H.S., South Portland  PCAGreatPerformances.org

The History of the Piano
December 10 @ 7:00 pm
Bowdoin Professor Emeritus Elliot Schwartz surveys the history of the piano from 18th century harpsichord to 21st century synthesizer in this series of four informal talks using live and recorded examples of music including Bach, Scarlatti, Mozart, Beethoven, 19th century Romantics, Debussy, Bartok and the 20th century avant-garde.  Portland Conservatory of Music, 116 Free Street , Portland
Portland Conservatory of Music