The Berkeley Community Chorus & Orchestra will present its winter concerts Friday January 3 at 7:30 pm, Saturday January 4 and Sunday January 5 at 3 pm at Hertz Hall, 101 Cross Sproul path, on the UC Berkeley campus. The concerts are free, donations welcome. The program feature the Faure Requiem, Beethoven's Choral Fantasy, and Haydn's Mass in Time of War. The luminous Faure Requiem provides a sense of transition, deliverance, and peace. The Beethoven Choral Fantasy is a showcase for SF Symphony pianist, John Wilson. Strains of Beethoven's ninth symphony can be heard in the chorus. Haydn's Mass in Time of War was written in 1796 as Napoleon threatened Austria and her allies. Nicknamed Paukenmesse for its use of timpani to depict the drama of war, the music is optimistic and exuberant. Music Director Ming Luke leads full orchestra and soloists Ellen Leslie, soprano, Sara Couden, contralto, Jonathan Elmore, tenor, and Simon Barrad, baritone in a not to be missed performance. Start 2025 with a sparkling concert of three great pieces of the classical repertoire.