Festive Baroque

Chatham Baroque plays seasonal cantatas and "festive instrumental works" by baroque composers Alessandro Scarlatti, Dietrich Buxtehude and Heinrich Biber with three guest artists -- soprano Marguerite Krull, violinist Carrie Krause and organist Adam Pearl.

The first, at 7 p.m. Friday, is a special music-and-dinner event at St. James Parish, catered by Karen Segal; tickets are $50. The "regular" concerts take place at 8 p.m. Saturday at Synod Hall, Oakland, and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Laughlin Music Center, Chatham University. $8-$25; 412-687-1788.

Pops and Santa

The Pittsburgh Symphony Holiday Pops concerts light up Heinz Hall again, with resident conductor Daniel Meyer leading the orchestra, Attack Theatre, the Children's Festival Chorus and the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh. Oh, and Kevin Glavin -- I mean Santa.

The music will be varied and plentiful, from Christmas music to a Chanukah Suite to favorite carols. It's presented by Highmark at 7:30 tonight, 8 p.m. Friday, 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday. $20-$79; pittsburghsymphony.org or 412-392-4900.

-- Andrew Druckenbrod

It's a Hootenanny

WYEP has a supergroup assembled for its Holiday Hootenanny tonight at the WYEP Community Broadcast Center.

Silver & Gold, a local all-star band featuring members from The Essex Green, Lohio, Good Night States and Donora, will perform holiday hits in the spirit of Phil Spector, the '60s sound of Nashville and more.

Guests are asked to bring a nonperishable food item for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the performance starts at 7 p.m. Complimentary beverages and holiday snacks will be available.

The Hootenanny is free and open to the public, but reservations are requested. Go to www.wyep.org.

Pundits aplenty

One of the keys to a successful event is a good title. The Pittsburgh Pundits have one with "Barack in a Hard Place: Now What Do We Do?"

This punditry is an evening of comedy and conversation led by John McIntire and featuring Gab Bonesso, with "Evil Republican Ad Genius" John Brabender and "Fire-Breathing Liberal Talk Host" Lynn Cullen. The audience gets to pitch in with questions, so come prepared.

It happens tonight at 10:30 at the Cabaret Theater, Downtown. Admission is $5 at the door, or free with a ticket stub from any earlier show (while seats last).

Negri's mass

Far from the bigger doings with the symphony at Heinz Hall, the Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall in Carnegie presents Joe Negri's Mass of Hope on Saturday.

Pittsburgh's jazz guitar legend and his quartet (Max Leake on keyboard, Bryan Stahurksi on upright bass and Tom Wendt on drums) will be joined by members of the Bach Choir of Pittsburgh and Stage 62.

Choir director Thomas Douglas will conduct the program and double as the male cantor. Mezzo soprano Becki Toth, of Stage 62, will serve as female cantor.

Negri's mass was originally commissioned by the Diocese of Pittsburgh in the early '80s. "Though the piece is composed around the structure of the Mass, it speaks to everyone," Douglas says in the press notes. "The message of this work is prophetic, announcing the coming of hope to our country and our world."

The 8 p.m. mass is followed by a dessert reception. Tickets are $25. Go to www.carnegiecarnegie.com or call 412-276-3456, ext. 6.

Solstice in Balance

Trance duo Life in Balance (Ami and Steve Sciulli) celebrates the solstice with "Om for the Holidays," a concert employing the usual Quartz Crystal Singing Bowls and synthesizers, along with special guests.

The evening will begin with Steve joined by violinist Jan Hamilton for electro-acoustic adaptations of ancient solstice music. Following that will be an interactive ritual led by the Rev. Gail Ransom using chant and spirals. Finally, Life in Balance gives "a musical voice to the Light by developing a personal inner-rhythmic pulse that opens into an ecstatic dancing celebration."

The concert is Sunday at 7:30 p.m. at Your Inner Vagabond, 4130 Butler St., Lawrenceville. Cover is $10. BYOB. All ages. Call 412-683-1623.

Deep house

Pittsburgh native Mikey Shanley, back in town for the holidays, will spin soulful and danceable sounds of Deep and Funky House music at Pietro's, Dormont, on Sunday. Shanley, the grandson of the late Mad Mike Metro, is based in Miami Beach, where he hosts a weekly Friday night at the club South Beach.

Those attending are asked to bring a canned good, which will be donated to the Pittsburgh Food Bank (pittsburghfoodbank.org). Cover is $5, or free if you RSVP at mikeyshanley.com.

• Will the next Tina Fey, Steve Carell or Mike Myers be on stage at the Pittsburgh Public's O'Reilly Theater this weekend? Find out when The Second City, the legendary Chicago comedy theater group that gave us those stars, performs an evening of new and classic scenes in the Pittsburgh premiere of "Pratfall of Civilization." Times are 8 p.m. today and Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $27.50 to $47.50. Age 26 and younger: $15. Call 412-316-1600 or visit www.ppt.org.

• The Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra's new music director, Warren Davidson, gets even more musicians to conduct for its holiday concert. Joining the orchestra will be Upper St. Clair High School's Chanteclair Choir and its director of instrumental music, Paul Fox, who will narrate "The Night Before Christmas." Adding to the festivities is the Slippery Rock University String Orchestra. 7:30 p.m. Saturday at USC High School. $8-$12; 412-279-4030.

• Pianist and composer Jace Vek joins the McKeesport Symphony Orchestra in its holiday concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at McKeesport Senior High School. He will perform some of his own music, while conductor Bruce Lauffer also leads the orchestra in many holiday favorites in its 50th anniversary season. $8-$15; 412-664-2854.

• The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington gets things rolling with Trolleys and Toy Trains Friday through Monday, and then Dec. 27-29, Jan. 3-4 and 10-11. Visitors can ride the decked-out trolleys and partake of the multi-level Lionel toy train layout featuring five running trains and trolleys. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends. Admission is $8; $7 seniors (62-plus); $5 for kids ages 3-15. For information, call 724-228-9256 or go to the Web site www.pa-trolley.org.