Tradition Takes a Vacation : Holidays: Unusual musical presentations join the usual list of season’s performances.

In welcome contrast to the predictable holiday “Messiah” presentations, some local musical organizations will take a long-overdue look at works by Latin American composers that recast the traditional Nativity story in the rhythms and images of less-familiar cultures.

Besides the evergreen “Messiah” sing-alongs and candle-lit carol services based on once-quaint tunes that now inundate every shopping mall, these new repertory and customs from south of the border promise to waken the jaded listener.

“In Ariel Ramirez’s ‘Navidad Nuestra,’ the three kings arrive at the manger wearing ponchos instead of the customary robes,” explained Robert Cooper, music director of San Diego’s First United Methodist Church. “The cantata itself is based on the folk music of Argentina, and each movement has a different folk rhythm.”

Cooper will conduct his 150-voice chorus in Ramirez’s Christmas cantata at 7 p.m. Sunday in the Methodist church sanctuary. His choral program also includes J. S. Bach’s Christmas cantata, “Unto Us a Child Is Born” and the “Gloria” from Mozart’s Twelfth Mass. Another ensemble from the Methodist congregation, the Contemporary Singers, will present “Las Posadas,” a potpourri of Mexican folk songs that illuminate the posada , the traditional Christmas procession found in many Spanish-speaking countries.

Elsewhere, at 8 p.m. Dec. 6, Xiomara Di Maio, director of the vocal ensemble Las Voces, will take her audience on a virtual Nativity travelogue of Latin America, singing carols from Di Maio’s native Venezuela, as well as from Cuba, Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile. Narrator Roberto Owen will discuss the Christmas customs from each country before the 10-voice ensemble sings each carol in the pleasant acoustical surroundings of Founders Hall Chapel on the University of San Diego campus.

“The Venezuelan carol ‘El Angel Gabriel’ pictures the baby Jesus asleep in a hammock under an araguaney tree, a typical village scene in Venezuela. Also, the peasants bring gifts of local foods to the Virgin and child,” Di Maio said. “A bright yellow flower, the flora de coco , figures in ‘Navidad del Paraguay.’ Paraguayans use the local flower to decorate their manger scenes; the flora de coco symbolizes the star of Bethlehem.”

The Las Voces program also includes “Voces de Navidad,” a piece written for the ensemble by Cuban-American composer Enrique Ubieta; the “Canticos de Navidad,” based on a poem by Lope de la Vega; and a pair of Christmas villancicos by Chilean composer Alfonso Letelier Llona.

In more traditional celebrations, the San Diego Choral Artists will pay homage to Christmas and Hanukkah in their identical programs at the historic Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside, Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 8 at 4:30 p.m. Cantor Sheldon Merel of San Diego’s Congregation Beth Israel will sing with the 24-voice profession choral group under the direction of Ron Gillis.

At 4 p.m. Dec. 1, “Die Fledermaus,” the Johann Strauss Jr. operetta associated with New Year’s Eve revelries, will be given a semi-staged performance by vocalists from West Coast Lyric Works at La Jolla’s St. James Episcopal Church. Company director Anne Young will lead the production, which will include soprano Patricia Minton Smith and baritone William Nolan.

The San Diego Symphony’s holiday program brings out the secular side of Christmas with San Diego Museum of Art executive director Steve Brezzo reading “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas,” a quartet of tuba players--the Tubadours--tootling “Jingle Bells” and the San Diego Children’s Choir under Polly Campbell singing the shopping center favorite “The Little Drummer Boy.” Dennis James will lead caroling from the console of the mighty Robert Morton theatre organ, and the orchestra will play excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s ballet “The Nutcracker.” This program runs Dec. 12-14 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 14 and 15 at 2 p.m.

As usual, fans of Handel’s “Messiah” can get almost any version of the ubiquitous oratorio, except, of course, for a complete performance.

The San Diego Chamber Orchestra will present its traditional one-hour, “shopper’s special” condensed version of “Messiah” at the Fairbanks Ranch Church of the Nativity, Dec. 15 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Music director Donald Barra will conduct his orchestra and the combined choirs of the Rancho Santa Fe Village Church and First Presbyterian Church of Oceanside.

For the sing-along devotee, the San Diego Master Chorale will take audience members through portions of “Messiah” at 7 p.m. Sunday at Copley Symphony Hall. Master Chorale director Frank Almond will lead the choir, orchestra and soloists, including soprano Sylvia Wen, alto Martha Jane Weaver, tenor Loren Salter, and baritone Martin Wright.

Holiday Music in San Diego County

* “Die Fledermaus,” Johann Strauss Jr.’s operetta in semi-staged performance by West Coast Lyric Works. At 4 p.m. Sunday at St. James Episcopal Church, La Jolla.

* “Christmas Cantata” by Daniel Pinkham, Mozart “Organ Solo” Mass and others sung by First Unitarian Chorus and chamber ensemble under director Daniel Ratelle. Dec. 1, 5 p.m. at the First Unitarian Church of San Diego.

* “Messiah” sing-along, Handel’s oratorio presented by the San Diego Master Chorale and 33-piece orchestra under music director Frank Almond. Dec. 1, 7 p.m. at Copley Symphony Hall.

* “Navidad Nuestra” by Ariel Ramirez, J. S. Bach’s Cantata No. 142 and others by the Chancel Choir and Masterwork Chorale under music director Robert Cooper. Dec. 1, 7 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church of San Diego.

* “Voces de Navidad” by Enrique Ubieta, “Esplendida Noche” by Ricardo Perez and others performed by the vocal ensemble Las Voces under director Xiomara Di Maio. Dec. 6, 8 p.m. in the University of San Diego’s Founders Hall Chapel.

* Christmas Concerto by Arcangelo Corelli and Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 by J. S. Bach performed by Palomar Community Orchestra conducted by Robert Gilson. Dec. 6-8, 8 p.m. and Dec. 8, 2 p.m. at Palomar College Theatre, San Marcos.

* “Winter Solstice” by Andrzej Panufnik, Corelli’s Christmas Concerto and others performed by the La Jolla Civic-University Symphony and Chorus under the baton of choral director David Chase. Dec. 7 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 8 at 3 p.m. in UC San Diego’s Mandeville Auditorium.

* Choral music for Christmas and Hanukkah sung by San Diego Choral Artists under director Ron Gillis with tenor soloist Sheldon Merel, cantor emeritus of San Diego’s Congregation Beth Israel. Dec. 7, 8 p.m., and Dec. 8, 4:30 p.m. at the Mission San Luis Rey, Oceanside.

* “The Christmas Story” by Ron Nelson performed by the Chancel Choir and baritone Robert Gomez under music director Martin Wright. Dec. 8, 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the La Jolla Presbyterian Church.

* Christmas Oratorio by Camille Saint Saens will be sung by the 90-voice Westminster Choir under music director Myron Tweed. Dec. 8, 7 p.m. and Dec. 9, 7:30 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church of San Diego.

* Christmas favorites performed by the Allegro String Quartet and soprano Ellen Lawson. Dec. 10, 7 p.m. at the Solana Beach Library.

* “Little Drummer Boy,” excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s ballet “The Nutcracker” and others presented by the San Diego Symphony under guest conductor Carl Hermanns with the San Diego Children’s Choir, the Tubadours, and Dennis James at the theatre organ. Dec. 12-14, 8 p.m. and Dec. 14-15, 2 p.m. at Copley Symphony Hall.

* “Messiah” by G. F. Handel in one-hour format; Donald Barra conducts the San Diego Chamber Orchestra and the choirs of Rancho Santa Fe Village Church and First Presbyterian Church of Oceanside. Dec. 15, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at St. James Episcopal Church, La Jolla.

* Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols sung by the Chancel Choir under music director Kenneth Fox. Dec. 15, 5 p.m. at the Solana Beach Presbyterian Church.

* “The Christmas Song,” a concert of contemporary gospel music sung by the San Diego Interfaith Gospel Choir under music director Terri Mason. Dec. 20, 8 p.m. and Dec. 22, 7 p.m. at the First Unitarian Church of San Diego.

* Traditional carol singing around the Spreckels Organ with carols and Christmas organ music performed by Civic Organist Robert Plimpton. Dec. 22, 2 p.m. at the Spreckels Organ pavilion, Balboa Park.