With the arrival of the holidays, schools and organizations around the region have scheduled musical offerings of the season.

Included in the schedule are the following:

Powers

* The Powers School District will hold a music program featuring students in kindergarten through 12th grade at 7 p.m. on Dec. 20, in the high school gym.

North Bend

* The North Bend High School Band and Choir Holiday Concert will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 18, at the Hales Performing Arts Center, at Southwestern Oregon Community College, 1988 Newmark Ave., in Coos Bay. The Jazz and Symphonic Band also will play at the Pony Village Mall at noon on Dec. 19 and 20, and the Jazz Choir will be at the mall at noon on Dec. 21.

* The Oregon Coast Lab Band “Evolution” will present a concert on tonight (Dec. 15) at Little Theater on the Bay in North Bend. The concert begins at 8 p.m. Advance tickets are available at Young’s South Bound Sound and Music in the Albertsons-BiMart Plaza or by calling the Lab Band office at 751-0221.

Coos Bay

* Curb recording artist and Gospel Music Association’s reigning Female Vocalist of the Year Natalie Grant will bring her “A Christmas To Believe In” Tour to Marshfield High School at 7 p.m. on Dec. 20.

Sponsored by the Gospel Music Channel, the concert will feature special guest Mandisa Sparrow, recording artist and “American Idol” finalist, and will introduce new Centricity recording artist Daniel Kirkley.

Tickets cost $12 in advance, $14 at the door or $10 for groups of 10 or more. Tickets are available at K-Light Radio, 580 Kingwood Ave., in Coos Bay.

Grant will perform selections from her acclaimed Christmas recording, Believe, as well as her highly-anticipated forthcoming release, Relentless. Grant’s seventh album and first studio recording in nearly three years, Relentless is slated to bow Feb. 12.  The project’s debut single, “In Better Hands,” is currently No. 1 on R&R’s Inspo National Airplay chart for the second week in a row, and is also No. 5 on R&R’s Christian AC National Airplay chart, according to the publication’s Nov. 9 issue.

Currently a speaker and performer on Women of Faith’s national “The Revolve Tour” for teen girls, Grant will also be featured on the Gospel Music Channel’s upcoming original special, “Christmas From Union Station,” where she will perform selections from Believe.

Grant has been Christian music’s top-selling Adult Contemporary female solo artist for two consecutive years.  Named the Gospel Music Association’s Female Vocalist of the Year in both 2006 and 2007, she co-hosted this year’s 38th-Annual GMA Dove Awards telecast along with Brian Littrell and Donnie McClurkin.  

Throughout the year Grant has continued her groundbreaking campaign to raise awareness about international human trafficking.  Educating audiences on the plight of children around the world who have been forced into the sex trade, one of Grant’s most significant career accomplishments is her HOME Foundation, which raises funds for various human trafficking-related relief efforts.

For more information on the “Natalie Grant – A Christmas To Believe In” Tour, those interested can visit http://www.itickets.com or call Turning Point Media Relations, Inc.  at (615) 261-1818.

Gardiner

* The church bells will be ringing on Christmas Eve at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church on Second and High Street in Gardiner starting at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 24.

The story of the baby Jesus’ birth will be told and Christmas carols will be sung. There will be a special closing hymn of “Silent Night, Holy Night” sung by candlelight. Everyone is welcome.