Youth symphony joins in ‘Christmas Treasures’
For those who prefer their holiday music served traditionally, the Santa Fe Symphony will perform “Christmas Treasures” at the Lensic Performing Arts Center on Dec. 11.
The musicians will join with the Santa Fe Youth Symphony in a celebration of seasonal favorites.
“This is a great way to reach out to the community,” guest conductor David Felberg said. “It’s great to watch the kids playing with the professionals. I remember being a kid and playing with an orchestra, and it was just mindblowing.”
The program includes selections from Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker Suite” and Leroy Anderson’s “A Christmas Festival.”
The latter is a compendium of traditional carols woven into a suite. The piece incorporates “Jingle Bells,” “Silent Night” and “The First Noel,” among others.
The Youth Symphony will join the adults on “The Nutcracker” and on Andersons’ “Sleigh Ride.”
“‘The Nutcracker’ is not easy to play, and I know they’ll handle it really well,” Felberg said. “It’s a really nice coming together.”
Flutist Jesse Tatum and harpist Anne Eisfeller will solo on Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Fantasia on Greensleeves,” his delicate reworking of the old English folk tune.
Fans of more modern music will enjoy Alan Silvestri’s music from the 2004 film “The Polar Express.”
Alexander Glazunov’s “The Four Seasons” depicts specific weather patterns in each part. The symphony will play selections from “Winter.”
“Each variation is sleet or snow or rain,” Felberg said. “They’re interesting weather character pieces.
The concert will close with an audience sing-along to familiar tunes.