Hennage Holiday Concert Series
Starting at the end of November and going until the end of December, the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg’s Hennage Auditorium will be hosting an array of musicians for their Hennage Holiday Concert Series. From the dulcimers to Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, explore a range of musical genres.
Holiday Celebration of Dulcimers
Tuesday, Nov. 26 and Wednesday, Dec. 11 @ 4pm – 5pm | Hennage Auditorium
As part of the Hennage Holiday Concert Series, Timothy Seaman brings festive cheer and musical skill to showcase the family of dulcimers. Experience an array of instruments, including hammered dulcimers, mountain dulcimers, bowed and plucked psalteries, zither, and autoharp. Enjoy distinctive American melodies and holiday favorites that highlight the unique sound of these remarkable, time-honored instruments. Art Museums admission and ticket are required. See all dates here.
Folk Hymns for Thanksgiving
Wednesday, Nov. 27 4pm – 5pm | Hennage Auditorium
As part of the Hennage Holiday Concert Series, beloved performers John and Turner, along with Kelly Kennedy, welcome the season with music that captures its festive spirit. Join them for a performance of Harvest Home anthems, American hymns of gratitude, and other lively tunes in celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday. Art Museums admission and ticket are required.
Five Centuries of Holiday Music in Virginia
Sunday, Dec. 1 @ 1:30pm – 2:30pm, 4pm – 5pm | Hennage Auditorium
As part of the Hennage Holiday Concert Series, join Henley Fork (Doug Austin, Brian Forsman, and Lynn and Barry Trott) along with special guest Lee Welch on percussion and vocals for a festive celebration of Christmas music spanning from the time of Jamestown to the twentieth century. Featuring carols, wassails, and lively dance tunes played on fiddle, mandolin, guitar, banjo, recorders, and viola da gamba, this concert offers something for everyone, taking you on a musical journey through Virginia’s rich holiday traditions. Admission to the Art Museums and an event ticket are required.
All Hail to the Days
Tuesday, Dec. 3 @ 4pm – 5pm | Hennage Auditorium
As part of the Hennage Holiday Concert Series, beloved performers’ music ushers in the season’s festive spirit. The Elizabethan and Stuart periods were a golden age for the arts, with Shakespeare’s works flourishing alongside some of England’s finest songs and dance tunes, composed for both the royal courts and public houses. Join Lynn Trott, Barry Trott, and Lee Welch for a celebration of winter music from the late 16th and 17th centuries, featuring lute, cittern, viols, hurdy-gurdy, recorders, violin, and voice. Admission to the Art Museums and an event ticket are required.
A Fiddler’s 75th Christmas
Wednesday, Dec. 4 @ 4pm – 5pm | Hennage Auditorium
As part of the Hennage Holiday Concert Series, join master fiddler John Turner for an hour of holiday-inspired melodies drawn from his lifetime of listening, performing, and composing. Admission to the Art Museums and an event ticket are required.
Keeping the Home Fires Burning
Tuesday, Dec. 10 @ 4pm – 5pm | Hennage Auditorium
As part of the Hennage Holiday Concert Series, this performance features the music of beloved artists to usher in the festive spirit of the season. Explore songs, stories, and holiday traditions from women across time and from around the world, both past and present. Singer, actor, and folklorist Kelly Kennedy shares the music, recipes, tales, and lore passed down by women through the ages, celebrating their enduring role in keeping the home fires burning. Admissions to the Art Museums and an event ticket are required.
One Street Over
Sunday, Dec. 15 @ 1:30pm – 2:30pm, 4pm – 5pm | Hennage Auditorium
As part of the Hennage Holiday Concert Series, the music of beloved performers helps usher in the festive spirit of the season. Join One Street Over, a traditional Irish band from Winchester, Virginia, featuring Doug Enders, Katie Enders, Nicholas Robb, and Tony Rodriguez. Their music blends flute, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, cello, banjo, and bodhran to create both haunting and lively melodies. With their debut album, Beyond the Gate, the band offers a fresh take on the sounds of the Emerald Isle. Having performed at various venues across the Shenandoah Valley—including festivals, pubs, wineries, and Colonial Williamsburg’s Hennage Auditorium—they bring a lively energy to every stage they grace. Admissions to the Art Museums and an event ticket are required.
Nowell Sing We Clear
Tuesday, Dec. 17 4pm – 5pm | Hennage Auditorium
As part of the Hennage Holiday Concert Series, the music of beloved performers brings the festive spirit of the season to life. Group carol singing has been a cherished holiday tradition in both England and America for centuries. Join Lynn and Barry Trott as they lead a sing-along of favorite English and American carols from the 17th to the 19th centuries. We’ll provide the lyrics and accompaniment—you bring your voices and join in the joyful spirit of the Christmas season. Art Museums admission and ticket are required.
A Very Virginia Christmas
Sunday, Dec. 22 @ 1:30pm – 2:30pm, 4pm – 5pm | Hennage Auditorium
As part of the Hennage Holiday Concert Series, the music of beloved performers brings the festive spirit of the season to life. Enjoy a selection of songs through the centuries, interwoven with stories about Virginia from Wilford Kale’s book “A Very Virginia Christmas.” Admission to the Art Museums and an event ticket are required.
Profound Joy
Tuesday, Dec. 24 @ 4pm – 5pm | Hennage Auditorium
Timothy Seaman’s Christmas Eve concert blends early American and global melodies with original compositions, all highlighted by the warm tones of the hammered dulcimer. Celebrate the season with musical themes of Winter, Christmas, and Hanukkah in this cherished 15-year tradition, filled with joy, peace, and delightful surprises. Admission to the Art Museums and an event ticket are required.
Jolly Old St. Nicholas
Sunday, Dec. 8 @ 1:30pm – 2:30pm, 4pm – 5pm | Hennage Auditorium
As part of the Hennage Holiday Concert Series, the music of beloved performers ushers in the festive spirit of the season. Celebrate the jolly old elf and his companions in this lively concert with Gabe Stone and David Gardner. Through music and stories, they’ll share global traditions and tales about the star of the Christmas gift-giving season. Admission to the Art Museums and an event ticket are required.
A Christmas Peaceable Kingdom
Wednesday, Dec. 18 @ 4pm – 5pm | Hennage Auditorium
As part of the Hennage Holiday Concert Series, the music of beloved performers brings the festive spirit of the season to life. From doves and donkeys to cattle, sheep, and beyond, join Kelly Kennedy for a celebration of joyful songs, tunes, and stories from the animal kingdom. These global tales and melodies reflect the spirit of the season in delightful ways. Admission to the Art Museums and an event ticket are required.
Eastern Virginia Brass
Sunday, Dec. 29 @ 1:30pm – 2:30pm, 4pm – 5pm | Hennage Auditorium
As part of the Hennage Holiday Concert Series, the music of beloved performers brings the festive spirit of the season to life. Celebrate the holidays with the joyful sounds of the Eastern Virginia Brass. Enjoy a mix of familiar classics, new pieces, and plenty of festive cheer—from Deck the Halls to Reindeers and Happy Hanukkah! Admission to the Art Museums and an event ticket are required.
Breaking Up Christmas
Tuesday, Dec. 31 @ 4pm – 5pm | Hennage Auditorium
As part of the Hennage Holiday Concert Series, the music of beloved performers brings the festive spirit of the season to life. In Appalachia, Christmas celebrations traditionally ended on January 6th with a “breaking up Christmas” celebration, full of music and dancing. Barry Trott and Brian Forsman revive this tradition with a mix of early and modern banjos and fiddles. Their performance creates a musical portrait of Virginia, from the days of English country dances to the rise of country music in the Appalachian hills and hollows. Admission to the Art Museums and an event ticket are required.
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