Some people adore the holidays—the time spent with loved ones, the thoughtful gifts, the festive ornaments and jolly spirits. Others dread the season—the time spent with in-laws, the expensive gifts, the gaudy ornaments and general depression. But almost everyone who digs into their bag of holiday memories comes up with something that holds a fond place in their hearts. A variety of upcoming concerts, both classical and contemporary, will help reignite those feelings and spread joy throughout December.

Community Chorus at South Berwick: Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Newington on Dec. 4; and Wesley Kennedy Performing Arts Center at Marshwood High School on Dec. 5: The 65 voices of the Community Chorus at South Berwick, led by director Harry Moon and accompanied by a 12-piece chamber orchestra and piano, will offer two performances of “Christmas with Friends and Family of J.S. Bach” in Newington and South Berwick. The concert includes Christmas and New Year works by Bach, three of his sons and a couple of his friends, as well as a number of traditional holiday songs from around the world.

The Saturday night show begins at 7:30 p.m. at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 22 Fox Run Road, Newington. The Sunday afternoon show begins at 3 p.m. at the Wesley Kennedy Performing Arts Center in Marshwood High School, 260 Route 236, South Berwick, Maine. Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door. Visit www.ccsb-sing.org or call 207-384-7059.

The Hampton Community Chorale, First Congregational Church of Hampton, Dec. 11: The non-audition, all-inclusive Hampton Community Chorale is gearing up for its annual holiday concert, “Joy to the World!” The event will include free refreshments, door prizes and a 50/50 raffle.

The concert begins at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11, at the First Congregational Church of Hampton, 127 Winnacunnet Road, Hampton. There is a $5 suggested donation, free for children under 10. Visit www.hamptoncommunitychorale.org.

A Christmas Celtic Sojourn, The Music Hall, Dec. 11: Now in its eighth year of sold-out performances in Boston, “A Christmas Celtic Sojourn” comes to Portsmouth for the first time, offering traditional Celtic holiday song and dance. An outgrowth of Brian O’Donovan’s WGBH radio program “A Celtic Sojourn,” the concert will feature Clancy Brothers singer Robbie O’Connell and former Cherish the Ladies singer Heidi Talbot. In addition, dancer Kieran Jordan will join ex-Riverdance performers Nick Yensen and Caitlin nic Gabhann.

Shows take place at 2 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11, at The Music Hall, 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth. Tickets are $29 to $40. Visit www.themusichall.org or call 603-436-2400.

Rock My Soul Sextet, Greenland Community Church, Dec. 11: Six members of the Rock My Soul Gospel Choir will perform “gospelized” Christmas carols and spirituals, along with R&B and doo-wop favorites, during a holiday concert in Greenland. The evening’s repertoire will include everything from familiar songs like “Go Tell It on the Mountain” to more obscure tunes like “No Room at the Inn” to a Temptations arrangement of “Silent Night.” Members of the sextet include Dawn Boyer, Brett Hartenbach, Jody Dugrenier, Terry Olson, Mark Weaver and Tina Weinberger, with Hartenbach on acoustic guitar and Mike Effenberger on keyboards.

The show begins at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11, at Greenland Community Church, 2 Post Road, Greenland. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door, free for children 12 and under. Visit www.rootsgospel.org or call 207-450-8016.

Amare Cantare, at St. Mary’s Church in Rochester on Dec. 11; at Stratham Community Church on Dec. 12; and at Middle Street Baptist Church in Portsmouth on Dec. 15: Durham-based chamber chorus Amare Cantare will present three holiday concerts of choral music featuring J.S. Bach’s “Cantata 106” and excerpts from Claudio Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo.” An instrumental ensemble of two recorders, two violas da gamba, harpsichord and cello will join the vocal group. They’ll also perform works by Purcell, Byrd, Walton and local composer Kevin Siegfried.

The show on Saturday, Dec. 11, begins at 8 p.m. at St. Mary’s Church, 71 Lowell St., Rochester. The show on Sunday, Dec. 12, begins at 3 p.m. at Stratham Community Church, 10 Emery Lane, Stratham. The show on Wednesday, Dec. 15, begins at 7:30 p.m. at Middle Street Baptist Church, 18 Court St., Portsmouth. Visit www.amarecantare.com.

New Hampshire Gay Men’s Chorus, Christ Episcopal Church in Portsmouth, Dec. 12: The New Hampshire Gay Men’s Chorus will perform a wide array of traditional and secular holiday music during its winter concert, “A Holly Jolly Holiday.” Now in its 12th year, the Manchester-based chorus is helmed by director Luc A. Roberge.

The show begins at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 12, at Christ Episcopal Church, 1035 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth. Tickets are $17 for adults, or $15 for seniors and children ages 5 to 12. Visit www.nhgmc.com.

Seacoast Wind Ensemble, First United Methodist Church in Portsmouth, Dec. 12: Music Director Mark Zielinski will conduct a family holiday concert featuring a variety of classical and popular pieces. The program will include “Rhapsody for Hanukah,” “Christmas Festival,” Sleigh Ride,” “A Suite of Carols,” and Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.” It’s the last scheduled concert of the year for the Seacoast Wind Ensemble, which consists of local musicians of all ages and backgrounds. The concert is free, but donations are welcome.

The show begins at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 12, at First United Methodist Church, 129 Miller Ave., Portsmouth. Visit www.seacoastwindensemble.org.

Vocalocity, Cooperative Middle School in Stratham, Dec. 12: Vocalocity will present its second annual holiday concert in Stratham, featuring seasonal songs from a non-audition choir of altos and tenors. There will also be raffles offering holiday baskets.

The show begins at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 12, at the Cooperative Middle School, 100 Academic Way, Stratham. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and students, free for children under 12. Visit www.vocalocitychorus.com.

Harvey Reid & Joyce Andersen, First Parish Church in Dover, Dec. 17: The acoustic duo of Harvey Reid and Joyce Andersen, both staples of the local music scene, will share their harmony singing and instrumental work during their 12th annual holiday concert in Dover. Presented by the Seacoast Guitar Society, the concert will include an extensive holiday repertoire highlighted by the couple’s rich string work and vocals. Between them, the two have released 30 acoustic recordings.

The show begins at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 17, at First Parish Church, 218 Central Ave., Dover. Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 day of show, $8 for students. Visit www.seacoastguitar.org or call 207-363-1886.

Ed Gerhard, South Church in Portsmouth, Dec. 17 and 18: Grammy Award-winning guitarist Ed Gerhard, a musician enamored with the holiday season, will present his 28th annual Christmas Guitar Concert on two consecutive nights in Portsmouth. The New Hampshire-based musician, fresh off the release of his 2010 CD “Luna,” will perform arrangements of carols and other concert favorites, drawing from his two holiday albums, “Christmas” and “On a Cold Winter’s Night.” There will be a food drive at both shows, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Artists’ Collaborative Theatre of New England.

The shows begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 17 and 18, at South Church, 292 State St., Portsmouth. Tickets are $24 in advance or $26 at the door. Visit www.virtuerecords.com or call 603-664-7200.

Holiday Sing-A-Long, Firehouse Center for the Arts in Newburyport, Dec. 18: There’s something about Christmas time that just makes folks wanna bust out singin’. The Youth Choir from the Immaculate Conception Church, directed by Donna Postle, will lead an old-fashioned Holiday Sing-A-Long in Newburyport for just that purpose. John Metrano will provide accompaniment on piano, and Terry Blanchard will read “’Twas the Night before Christmas.” Guests of all ages will have a chance to sing along to some well-loved carols, and kids can meet Santa.

The event begins at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 18, at the Firehouse Center for the Arts, 1 Market Square, Newburyport, Mass. Tickets are $3. Visit www.firehouse.org or call 978-462-7336.

Tenley Westbrook’s Christmas for the Troops, First United Methodist Church in Portsmouth, Dec. 18: Seacoast singer-songwriter Tenley Westbrook will host a Christmas concert for military members, their families and the public in Portsmouth. The performance, which will be webcast around the globe, will feature Christmas and patriotic songs by Westbrook and several guests, including John Paul, Daniel King and Leslie Loomis. The concert is free but donations will be accepted at the door, with proceeds going to the FreedomSong Foundation, which supports military members and their families.

The show begins at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 18, at the First United Methodist Church, 129 Miller Ave., Portsmouth. Pre-register at www.tenleywestbrook.com.

The Brew, Blue Ocean Music Hall, Dec. 18: Homegrown jam band The Brew will perform epic Christmas medleys and offer holiday giveaways during its annual Christmas Ball in Salisbury. After a summer filled with raucous festivals, the band is preparing to rock away the holiday season with opening act New Highway Hymnal, a neo-psychedelic group from Haverhill and Lowell.

The show begins at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 18, at the Blue Ocean Music Hall, 4 Oceanfront North, Salisbury, Mass. Tickets are $15. Visit www.blueoceanhall.com or call 978-462-5888.

Rock My Soul, St. John’s United Methodist Church in Dover, Dec. 19: The 20-member secular choir Rock My Soul will present its sixth annual holiday concert in Dover, raising the rafters with roots-based gospel music. The evening’s featured soloists include Dawn Boyer, Jody Dugrenier, Brett Hartenbach, Carolyn Morse-Finn, Mark Weaver and Tina Weinberger. The vocalists will be accompanied by the Rock My Soul band, with Hartenbach on guitar, Mike Effenberger on keyboards, Victor Love on bass and Joe Rogers on drums. They’ll play a diverse set of high-energy carols, spirituals and popular holiday favorites.

The show begins at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 19, at St. John’s United Methodist Church, 28 Cataract Ave., Dover. Tickets are $12 in advance ($10 for seniors 65 and older), $15 at the door, free for children 12 and under. Visit www.rootsgospel.org or call 207-450-8016.

Burst & Bloom, Buoy, Dec. 21: For a modernized take on musical holiday traditions, indie label Burst & Bloom will present a holiday show in Kittery, featuring local acts Guy Capecelatro III, Moons of Jupiter and other artists to be announced.

The show takes place on Tuesday, Dec. 21, at Buoy, 2 Government St., Kittery, Maine. Visit www.buoygallery.org or www.burstandbloomrecords.com.

Messiah Sing!, The Music Hall, Dec. 21: Just a few days before Christmas, The Music Hall invites guests to get in on the holiday singing. Area choruses and conductors will join guest soloists and string accompanists for an evening of group music in which the audience shares the spotlight.

The event begins at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 21, at The Music Hall, 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth. Tickets are $14. Visit www.themusichall.org or call 603-436-2400.