Amy Grant Joins the Pacific Symphony for CHRISTMAS WITH AMY GRANT, Now thru 12/15

America's sweetheart Amy Grant makes her debut with Pacific Symphony Pops for festive, heartwarming holiday concert, "Christmas with Amy Grant".

Amy Grant, whose warm spirit, heartfelt lyrics and chart-topping vocals have made her an American-music icon, joins forces for the first time with Pacific Symphony Pops for "Christmas with Amy Grant"— an uplifting concert full of festive holiday music. With more than 30 million albums sold, six Grammys and numerous Dove awards, Grant has successfully erased the boundaries between contemporary Christian and pop, mixing in folk, country and her own personal song-writing style. With six No. 1 hits, including "Baby Baby" and "Every Heartbeat," she is one of only two Christian artists to be awarded a star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame. For this concert, Grant sings favorites from her popular Christmas albums such as "Grown-Up Christmas List," "Winter Wonderland," "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and "Breath of Heaven," all backed by the lush sounds of the Symphony orchestra.

Opening the concert, Principal Pops Conductor Richard Kaufman leads the orchestra in a variety of holiday favorites including "March of the Toys," "Sleigh Ride," and "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" from "Babes in Toyland," which includes a tribute to Kaufman's friend, the late Andy Williams. Plus, the audience is included in a very merry sing-along and treated to the classic tale, "The Night before Christmas," narrated by radio and TV personality Wink Martindale, with music by Randol Alan Bass.

This Christmas extravaganza takes place tonight through Saturday, Dec. 13-15, at 8 p.m.  In response to strong demand, a matinee performance has been added on Saturday, Dec. 15, at 3 p.m. All performances take place in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall and feature the Foothill High Dickens Carolers serenading an hour before the concert begins. Tickets are $50-$160; for more information or to purchase tickets, call (714) 755-5799 or visit www.PacificSymphony.org.

"Amy Grant brings not only a fantastic voice and personality to her concerts, but also her wonderful spirit that is centered in her deep faith," says Maestro Kaufman. "Having Amy with us for Christmas is the perfect opportunity for our audiences to listen to one of America's great singers, and to join her in a very special Christmas celebration. With Amy and Pacific Symphony, it will definitely be 'the most wonderful time of the year!'"

Becoming the first contemporary Christian artist to have a platinum record and the first to hit No. 1 on the pops charts, Grant opened a door for other artists in pop and rock to sing about faith, soul and family, making her one of the most influential artists of the past few decades. In March 2010, Grant released "Somewhere Down the Road," a collection of songs about the journey of life and faith. The album debuted at No. 2 on the iTunes Christian music chart and the first single, "Better Than a Hallelujah," was a Top 10 Christian radio hit and No. 1 on the iTunes Christian singles chart. Her first live recording in 25 years, "Time Again...Amy Grant Live" was released in September 2006. Grant has always found a way to share her life through her music and in the process has become not only the best-selling Christian music artist of all time but also one of the most celebrated artists in the pop music industry.

"The joy, the magic, the meaning of the season, the feeling of family...Christmas is all of these and more," continues Kaufman. "There are so many wonderful colors in the celebration of Christmas. The ladies and gentlemen of Pacific Symphony bring these glorious colors to life as the orchestra plays the songs that the whole world loves to hear during the most special season of all. I hope that at the end of each performance, there is no doubt in the hearts and minds of our wonderful audiences that it is the most wonderful time of the year."

Adding to the holiday magic is TV game show host and radio personality Martindale. In his lifetime of hosting, Martindale has guided 19 television shows, including "The Ed Sullivan Show," "Deck of Cards," High Rollers," "Gambit," "Trivial Pursuit," and for 12 years, "Music of Your Life." Success in Memphis radio led to hosting radio programs in Los Angeles including Gene Autry's 50,000-watt flagship KMPC. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in 2012, was inducted into the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame.

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