Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra presents holiday cheer in dual concerts with different presentation styles

Mark Gresham | 19 DEC 2024

The Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Paul Bhasin (one of three conductors under consideration this season for the post of JCSO music director), delighted audiences with a pair of contrasting holiday programs on Saturday, December 14, 2024, at Mount Pisgah Church.

The afternoon concert, “A Kids’ Christmas,” was a casual, sensory-friendly event aimed at young listeners and sensory-challenged persons of all ages, with a master of ceremonies guiding the audience through the program. The audience was encouraged to sing along or dance as the spirit moved them.

The evening program, “Holidays with the JCSO,” offered a more formal community celebration featuring the orchestra, a vocal soloist, and a chorus.

As different as they were otherwise in presentation style and intent, the two concert programs shared a half-dozen pieces that were featured in both the afternoon (“A Kids’ Christmas”) and evening (“Holidays with the JCSO”) performances.

The afternoon program began with the playful and accessible Around the World at Christmas Time, a medley arranged by Bruce Chase that wove together international carols, including “O Tannenbaum” and “Go Tell It on the Mountain.” JCSO followed up with Bob Krogstad’s Christmas at the Movies, a medley featuring music from holiday film classics like Home Alone and The Polar Express. Then came the only change to the music listed in the printed program book: An orchestral rendition of the Martin/Blane song “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” replaced Leon Jessel’s Parade of the Wooden Soldiers.

Conductor Bhasin and emcee Ben Assaf kept the atmosphere lively and engaging, with Assaf narrating Anthony DiLorenzo’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas to an enthusiastic crowd. Children cheered for Gene Autrey’s “Here Comes Santa Claus,” arranged by Bob Cerulli, as Santa Claus himself arrived, and DiLorenzo’s energetic Navidad Latina!, a medley that included the familiar “Feliz Navidad” added a vibrant, multicultural touch to the festivities.

Leroy Anderson’s A Christmas Festival and timeless favorite Sleigh Ride concluded the intermissionless afternoon program, with the orchestra delivering the latter’s signature cracks of the whip and whinnying horse sounds.

Paul Bhasin, one of three finalists vying tp become JCSO music director, led the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra in a pair of holiday programs at Mount Pisgah Church on November 14. (credit: Ken Ortloff)

The evening program expanded on the holiday spirit, showcasing soprano Bethany Mamola and the Johns Creek Chorale (directed by Nathan Frank) alongside the orchestra.

It opened with two works heard early in the afternoon concert: Christmas at the Movies followed by ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, with Assaf again narrating, although not serving as emcee as he did in the afternoon.

Mamola then took to the stage to sing two popular mid-20th-century holiday songs: “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” (1963) and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (1943), the latter being the same John Whitney arrangement the orchestra played in the afternoon concert — this time with the vocal part included, which came across better.

To close the concert’s first half, celebration of Hanukkah (which runs from sundown on December 25 this year through January 2), was represented through Lucas Richman’s Hanukkah Festival Overture, a dynamic orchestral arrangement of traditional Jewish melodies.

After intermission, the Johns Creek Chorale joined the JCSO onstage and sang the opening number, Taylor Scott Davis’s exuberant take on the classic Christmas carol “Joy to the World.”

Mamola returned for another pair of numbers, starting with another mid-20th-century favorite, “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” After that, Mamola’s performance of “Sì, mi chiamano Mimì” from Puccini’s La bohème provided a surprising operatic interlude in which her voice sounded most at home.

Navidad Latina! provided a cultural south-of-the-border flavor to the mix as it did in the afternoon concert.

The Chorale was again spotlighted in Dan Forrest’s poignant arrangement of “See, Amid the Winter’s Snow” before joining the orchestra in Leroy Anderson’s A Christmas Festival (played by the orchestra alone in the first concert). Like the afternoon program, the evening concert concluded with Anderson’s spirited Sleigh Ride, leaving the audience humming familiar tunes into the December night.

The strategy of dual concerts, informal and formal, respectively, showcased the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra’s versatility and commitment to serving its suburban community. From the casual charm of the afternoon program to the more polished warmth of the evening concert, the day celebrated inclusivity and the joy of music for audiences of all ages. ■

EXTERNAL LINKS:

• Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra: johnscreeksymphony.org
• Paul Bhasin: music.emory.edu/people/biography/bhasin-paul.html
• Bethany Mamola: bethanygracesoprano.com
• Johns Creek Chorale: thejohnscreekchorale.com

About the author:

Mark Gresham is publisher and principal writer of EarRelevant. He began writing as a music journalist over 30 years ago, but has been a composer of music much longer than that. He was the winner of an ASCAP/Deems Taylor Award for music journalism in 2003.

Read more by Mark Gresham.

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