Virginia Symphony concerts brighten the holiday season in Hampton Roads
December 2, 2016
By David Nicholson
Correspondent
Deck the halls with symphony musicians.
Bright brass, warm violins and heavenly choruses are on the bill as the Virginia Symphony rolls out its annual lineup of concerts for the holiday season. The month ahead offers a sleigh full of brass choirs, holiday pops and performances of “The Nutcracker” and Handel’s “Messiah.”
“We say we have something for everyone at this time of year, and I really think that’s true,” said JoAnn Falletta, the orchestra’s music director and conductor.
“When you hear that song, you know everything is going to be OK,” she said about the popular Jerry Herman tune.
Her conducting duties also include “Jingle Bell Jam,” the holiday concert that’s part of the symphony’s Peanut Butter & Jam series. Mr. Grinch and Santa Claus, of course, will be making appearances at this Sunday afternoon event, which sold out last year. Dancers from Todd Rosenlieb’s company will perform “The Skaters’ Waltz.”
Later in the month come the “Messiah,” featuring the Symphony Chorus and guest soloists, and four performances of Holiday Brass, something French horn player Kim Gilman is looking forward to.
“It’s the only time of the year when the brass players get together as a group and can hone their craft,” she said. “Making that sound is what made all of us fall in love with our instruments.”
With two preschoolers at home, Gilman juggles family life with rehearsals and performances, though she said, “it’s no busier than our normal schedule. It’s a unique time of year because the classical and the pops are very intertwined.”
There’s a bit of the popular as well in Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker,” a work that George Corbett, who plays oboe and English horn, lists on his “favorites” list.
“People might think we hear this music all the time, but we really don’t get tired of it,” Corbett said. “There are so many layers, and every instrument has something really great to play in that piece.”
Falletta and the musicians recognize that holiday programs often bring out audience members who may not attend concerts regularly.
“It’s good to look out in the audience and see people you don’t normally see at other times of the year,” Corbett said.
“I realize that a lot of people make it their family tradition,” Falletta said. “They set that time aside to spend time with us. We help them to build their Christmas memories.”