Some dazzling numbers

Dec 15, 2006

Author: Jim Kershner

Position: Staff writer

Source: Spokesman Review

Spokane Symphony's annual Holiday Pops concert promises to impress with quality and quantity

Once again, the Spokane Symphony's Holiday Pops concert will brighten the season with, among other qualities, sheer numbers. Those numbers include:

•70 symphony musicians.

•120 Spokane Symphony Chorale singers.

•50 Spokane Area Children's Chorus singers.

That adds up to 240 performers on the INB Performing Arts Center stage.

Make that 241. Santa Claus usually shows up to make a guest appearance.

Meanwhile, another 2,500 or so audience members will raise their voices in the traditional closing holiday sing-along. That's a lot of merry musical energy.

Associate conductor Morihiko Nakahara will lead the throngs in Spokane's annual holiday musical extravaganza. He'll be joined by the chorale's director, Lori Wiest, and the children's chorus director, Kristina Ploeger.

The symphony will perform pieces ranging in style from Vivaldi's "Winter" (from "The Four Seasons") to Vince Guaraldi's "A Charlie Brown Christmas." In between will be Vaughan Williams' "Fantasia on Greensleeves," Prokofiev's "Troika" and a piece titled "Festive Sounds of Hanukkah."

The chorale will join in on "Hail to Christmas" (from "Babes in Toyland") and "The Twelve Days of Christmas" as well as "El Cielo Canta" and "Betelehemu." Tradition also dictates the annual, high-spirited version of Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride," with a special guest conductor in a red suit.

The Children's Chorus will give its debut performance of "American Carols," composed especially for the group by William Berry. Berry will have an excellent seat for this premiere; he's a symphony trumpeter.

The chorus will also sing Randall Thompson's "Alleluia."