Highlights

Mitchell Gold, co-founder of Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams home furnishings, which are sold at outlets such as Williams-Sonoma Home and Pottery Barn, will speak at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Fayetteville Public Library. Gold is the co-author of the home design book “Let’s Get Comfortable,” however he will be discussing his new book, “Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social, and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay in America,” at the Saturday event.

Gold co-founded Faith in America, an organization that educates the public about the harm caused to gay Americans when religion-based bigotry and prejudice is used to justify condemnation, discrimination and violence.

Gold will also make a presentation to 10-year-old Will Phillips of West Fork, who recently made national news because he refused to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at school, because justice and equality were not extended to the gay population.

In a statement, Gold said that he was impressed by young Phillips.

“I was immediately struck by his ability to understand a message so many in America have failed to grasp — that it is simply wrong to treat others as unequal and inferior based on their sexual orientation,” Gold said.

Gold and Faith in America co-founder, Jimmy Creech will be at the dedication of Temple Shalom at 2 p.m. Saturday. Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams donated furniture for the new temple.

Sinfonia Chamber Orchestra

The Sinfonia Chamber Orchestra of Krakow will perform Polish and international carols and Christmas music in a free concert at 8 p.m. Sunday at the University of Arkansas Fine Arts Concert Hall.

The orchestra will be conducted by Steven Byess, the music director of the Tupelo Symphony Orchestra, opera conductor for California State University-Los Angeles and conductor at the International Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv.

Byess has served as cover conductor for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, opera conductor for the Cleveland Institute of Music, music director of the Ohio Light Opera and has held conducting posts with the Atlanta Ballet and the Augusta Symphony Orchestra. He was selected by Walt Disney World Entertainment to conduct the 2000 Superbowl halftime show.

Music

Things aren’t slowing down for the holidays on the music scene.

Tonight the electronic hip-hop roll that has been selling out venues in town for the last few months continues when Grub’s brings in Two Fresh from North Carolina.

GoodFolk in downtown Fayetteville will have two notable shows this week. Friday night will be Ned Luberecki and Stephen Mougin. Banjo master Luberecki has played with a number of hot acts and can be heard on Sirius radio’s “Bluegrass Junction.” Mougin has served as guitarist and vocalist in the Sam Bush Band as well as many others. On Saturday night at GoodFolk,

Outside the Lines will be doing one of their rare performances. It will be serious music and serious fun, with songs like Emily Kaitz’s new tune “Sweet Wasilla Girl.” Rounding out the group with Kaitz will be Ed Nicholson and Stan D’Aubin. Fiddler Jenee Keener-Fleenor will not be joining the group for this show, but for the second set, sitting in will be Mike Shirkey, Clair and Grant D’Aubin and Will and Thomas Nicholson.

And, get ready for next Thursday night, Dec. 17, when George’s will host local alt rockers The Counterlife (Roger Barrett, Chris Byrne, Ryan Robbins, Joe Vinnola), Egyptr, Color Club and Perpetual Werewolf.

Harmonia

The Northwest Arkansas choral group, Harmonia, will perform a Winter Concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Teatro Scarpino in Fayetteville.

Choral director Leslie Oelsner founded the 16-piece ensemble 14 years ago.

“The dedication of these 16 women to sing together week after week, year after year, has richly rewarded them with the healing power of music and the delight that comes with sharing and performing,” Olesner said.

Inspiration for the songs — some a cappella and some accompanied by percussion, piano, guitar, flute and recorder — comes from diverse cultures and spiritual traditions, as well as from music that celebrates healing, peace, nature and celebration itself, Oelsner said. The Wednesday night concert

will focus on music for the winter and holiday season.

There’s no cover charge, but optional donations will be collected for Women for Women International, a nonprofit organization that empowers and assists women survivors of war.