Who says you have to have nothing but Christmas music on a Christmas concert? Certainly not conductor Bobby Herriot and the Hamilton Concert Band.

Sure, they'll play some seasonal favourites at their annual Christmas concert at Pioneer Memorial United Church, 1974 King St. E. tonight. And you can count on hearing Sleigh Ride, Christmas Festival, Christmas Recollections, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, plus Herriot's Christmas Time, and Fantasia on Jingle Bells. In the latter piece, Herriot takes the tune and morphs it to sound like a quasi-Rossini overture, a Viennese waltz, a swing-era number and a country hoedown.

But the HCB will also be doing an Andrew Lloyd Webber medley, Marching Down Broadway, the Triumphal March from Aida, an alto sax feature titled Soulful Mood, plus Man with a Horn featuring HCB trumpeter Jim Stahl playing the solo that was originally written for Herriot.

"I try to mix it up a little bit otherwise it gets too boring," said Herriot of his programming. "How many times can you play Hark! The Herald Angels?"

Herriot, who says he's "76 going on 14," is a dyed-in-the-wool bandsman. Prior to immigrating to Canada from his native Scotland in 1957, he served in the H.M. Royal Guards Band. A trumpet player, he studied at the Royal Academy of Music, as well as at the Royal Military School of Music, and the Canadian Forces School of Music.

Herriot played in the RCAF Band along with Don Allan, the current conductor of the Burlington Concert Band, before retiring in 1971 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He performed with Rob McConnell's Boss Brass, plus the bands of Xavier Cugat, Stan Kenton and others. Herriot's previous podium posts include stints with the 7th Toronto Regiment, the Royal Canadian Artillery Band, and up until 2003, the Hamilton Concert Band.

When Herriot retired as president of the Toronto Musicians' Association, and vice-president from Canada of the American Federation of Musicians this past July 31, the HCB moved quickly to hire him back as their conductor.

"They're nice people, a good little band. It gives me something to do," said Herriot.

Concert start time tonight is 7 p.m. Tickets are $10, student-senior $7, family $25. Call 905-318-4455.

Beethoven's First Symphony has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas. But that isn't preventing Paul Thorlakson, conductor of the Redeemer University College Sinfonia, from placing it first on the bill at this Friday night's Festive Music concert in the Redeemer auditorium, 777 Garner Rd. E., Ancaster.

The Sinfonia is a recently established ensemble that currently consists of 30 players, many of them Redeemer students, as well as some local musicians, plus a few mentors such as Sonia Vizante, Barbara Hindrichs, Rob Wolanski and Marsha Moffitt.

The Sinfonia will share the bill with Chris Teeuwsen's Redeemer Concert Choir which will be performing Sweelinck's Hodie, Hassler's Verbum caro factum est, Rutter's What Sweeter Music, an African Christmas Spiritual, as well as other works. The choir and orchestra will team at the end for arrangements of Christmas carols. Concert start time is 8 p.m.

Tickets are $17, student-senior $15. Call 905-648-2139 ext. 4211.

If, however, you insist on hearing only Christmas music at Christmas concerts, then among the many local offerings this weekend is Central Presbyterian Church's 72nd annual Candlelight Carol Service on Sunday, Dec. 9, at 7:30 p.m., 165 Charlton Ave. W.

Paul Grimwood will lead the choir, as well as brass and timpani in many familiar hymns, as well as carols by John Tavener, Benjamin Britten, Bob Chilcott and Icelandic composer Thorkell Sigurbjornsson.

Admission is free. Call 905- 522-9098.

Leonard Turnevicius is a music educator and organist.