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| Seven Jarvi stevenjarvi.com |
What: Macy's Holiday Celebration
When: December 19-21, 2014
Where: Powell Symphony Hall, St. Louis
The Macy's Holiday Celebration concerts with the St. Louis Symphony have, over the past several years, fallen into a pattern that's as familiar and cozy as a bulky red woolen sweater. This year, I'm happy to report, is no exception.
As always, Symphony IN UNISON® Chorus director Kevin McBeth's Holiday Festival Chorus sings some familiar carols, including a wonderfully precise arrangement of the traditional Ukrainian "Carol of the Bells". I was also very taken with their performance of the delicate arrangement of "Silent Night" by Mormon Tabernacle Choir music director Mack Wilberg. The use of harp and celesta gives it a wonderfully transparent texture. Mr. McBeth does an impressive job getting very polished performances out of these singers, who all hail from local high schools.
Also, as always, the orchestra plays pops favorites like Leroy Anderson's "Christmas Festival" (a piece I have loved since I played it in high school), the audience participates in a sing-along, and Santa (the always reliable Whit Reichert, if my ears do not deceive me) shows up with a child plucked from the audience to "conduct" Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride." Friday night's munchkin was so charming that she threatened to steal the show.
Santa also has some banter with the vocal soloist. This year it's the charming Chelsea Packard, who does fine work throughout and knocks "Let It Go" (from "Frozen") out of the park. Her musical theatre background is apparent in her engaging performances, although I rather wish she had done Adolphe Adam's "O Holy Night" without the ornamentation that so many younger singers seem compelled to bring to their vocal lines these days.
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| Chelsea Packard chelseapackard.com |
There are a few surprises on the program this year, the most welcome of which is Louis Richman's "Hannukah Festival Overture." It's apparently quite popular with holiday pops events around the country, but this was my first exposure to it. Richman's orchestration is clever and inventive and the piece is a nice counterpart to Anderson's "Christmas Festival."
The final two pieces on the program were also a welcome addition: a suite from Alan Silvestri's music for the film "Polar Express" (arrangement by Jerry Brubaker, Chief Arranger of the US Navy Band for 13 years) and "Christmas Eve Finale" from Dimitri Tiomkin's score for that Christmas chestnut "It's a Wonderful Life." The arrangement for orchestra and chorus by Patrick Russ and Paul Henning (part of their "Suite from It's a Wonderful Life") is big and colorful and brings the evening to an appropriately celebratory end.
Steven Jarvi conducts and narrates the entire affair with panache. He also put his own stamp on the music. His "Christmas Festival," for example, brings out some of woodwind parts in ways that previous readings have not.
Holiday cheer, in short, abounds at Powell Hall this weekend, assisted by the fact that drinks can be brought into the hall. I recommend the Poinsettia Punch—refreshing and not too sweet.
There are three more chances to catch this tasty musical sugarplum Saturday at 2 and 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2 pm. Post-holiday cheer continues next week with "Pixar in Concert" on Saturday and Sunday, December 27 and 28, and the annual New Year's Eve gala on the 31st.
For ticket information, visit the symphony web site.
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