West Michigan Symphony welcomes noted conductor John Varineau and Western Michigan Christian HS Choir to the stage for annual Home for the Holidays
Muskegon, Michigan, November 26, 2024— Sleigh Ride. All I Want for Christmas is You. My Favorite Things. O Holy Night. Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer. Audiences can hear all this and more when the West Michigan Symphony presents its annual Home for the Holidays concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, December 20 in the inspiring setting of the beautiful, historic Frauenthal Theater, surrounded by a magically decorated downtown Muskegon.
Beloved West Michigan conductor John Varineau leads a night of joyful, heartwarming, pure family fun, joined by guest vocalist Alyssa Garcia Bauer. Imagine the Frauenthal decked with holiday cheer, a full orchestra and two youth choruses: the WMS Children’s Choir and Western Michigan Christian High School Chamber Choir. Add in all your seasonal favorites, a spirited sing-along, a visit from Santa and you’ve got…Home for the Holidays! Sponsored by Warner Norcross Judd, Webb Chemical and Mike & Kay Olthoff, the performance will be held in the Frauenthal Center, 425 W. Western Avenue. For tickets, starting at $28, call 231.727.8001, visit the Frauenthal box office or purchase online at www.westmichigansymphony.org.
Selections will also include Jerry Herman’s “We Need a Little Christmas” from the musical Mame; “Christmas Waltz” by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn, originally written for Frank Sinatra; “Angels in the Snow” by Tracey Rush, penned in loving memory of her father; “O Come, Emmanuel,” Elaine Hagenberg’s haunting resetting of a treasured Advent hymn; and “Sweet Silent Night,” a gentle ode to heavenly stars and falling snow by Andy Beck.
Guest conductor John Varineau has been a pillar of West Michigan’s musical community for decades. A longtime member of the musical faculty at Calvin College, he recently retired after 36 years as associate conductor of the Grand Rapids Symphony and conductor of the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony. Guest vocalist Alyssa Garcia Bauer is a frequent performer in area music theatre, including her recent appearance as Carole King at Grand Rapids Civic Theatre in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. She has also performed with the Grand Rapids Symphony on educational concerts as a narrator, host and vocalist.
The Western Michigan Christian High School Chamber Choir is the advanced auditioned ensemble at WMC, comprised of 10th-12th grade singers. Directed by Kathryn Becksvoort, the choir presents annual Fall, Christmas, Pops and Spring Concerts, as well as participating in numerous area worship services, civic activities, and service projects. Now in its eleventh season, WMS Children’s Choir, comprised of children ages 8-13, performs annually with WMS and presents independent concerts and events throughout the area. Directed by Beth Slimko, the Children’s Choir is part of WMS’s Community Music Encounters: a comprehensive set of learning activities and programs that reach deeply into the community to inspire the next generation of music lovers.
An anchor cultural organization headquartered in Muskegon celebrating its 85th Anniversary Season this year, West Michigan Symphony led by Music Director Scott Speck is a resident presenting group at the Frauenthal Center, where its eight-concert season is the most visible part of a larger artistic enterprise of far-reaching community benefit. WMS concerts and education events bring 16,500 people—more than 30% of whom are children and students—downtown annually, making it the largest performing arts organization on the West Shore. ###
