Holiday Pops has new mix of old favorites

For the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, the Holiday Pops at the Ohio Theatre is a yearly opportunity to show off the diversity of holiday music, as well as the talents of other local arts organizations.

This year, Ronald Jenkins leads the orchestra, the Columbus Symphony Chorus and the Columbus Children’s Chorus through a program that combines popular and classical favorites, along with some other holiday standards.

Of course, last evening’s opening concert had its share of the expected: medleys, a carol sing-along, a hilariously droll middle-schooler conducting

and a special visitor from the North Pole.

For more serious classical music aficionados, the bright, familiar pops selections were offset by a strong set of classical selections that rounded out the character of the program.

Concertmaster Joanna Frankel treated Schubert’s

with exquisite tenderness, and the accompanying women’s chorus was nearly flawless. Then, the full chorus presented the joyful first movement of Rutter’s

with strong diction and unisons. Bernstein’s

is an ardent celebration of Jewish faith, as difficult technically as it is rich emotionally. One challenge of the first movement is tempering exuberance and volume. In this case, the orchestra was cognizant of that need, always allowing the chorus to lead the dance. Chesnokov’s

dark and reverent, was full of grandiose fortissimos and breathless beauty. If it had any shortcoming, it was a need for starker quiet in the pianissimo sections.

For those who came to hear more common favorites, the program did not disappoint. From medleys of traditional tunes to Mariah Carey’s hit

much of the standard fare was represented.

Most of these popular selections were well balanced, with the orchestra crisp, clean, and straightforward, letting the chorus take the forefront. At moments, the brass section became heavy and obscured the voices, but those moments passed quickly.

However, on its own, the brass section delivered Hale’s

medley with clarity and vigor.

and were musically solid, and the children’s

was as fervent as it was precise.

Among the popular selections, the musical standouts were with children’s and men’s voices, and the closing

Both were polished and captivating.

Dancers Joanie Evans and Justin Gibbs, along with a handful of young dancers from the BalletMet Academy, added a welcome collaborative dimension. Gibbs’ choreography for Vaughan Williams’

was traditional, yet felt modern and fresh, and it made good use of the limited space. Three bubbly girls and two elves brought smiles to the reading of

As always, the Holiday Pops has something enjoyable for everyone, and it’s original every year.