Celebrate the Holidays with Multiple Live Concert Experiences: Home for the Holidays, A Jazzy Christmas and Clickity Clack Ho Ho Ho
Muskegon, MI — West Michigan Symphony presents its annual Home for the Holidays concert at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, December 19 in the inspiring setting of the beautiful, historic Frauenthal Theater, surrounded by a magically decorated downtown Muskegon. Enjoy holiday classics including “Sleigh Ride” and “O’ Holy Night.” Plus, new holiday favorites from the movie Frozen.
West Michigan Symphony (WMS) Music Director Scott Speck will lead a night of joyful, heartwarming, pure family fun with a full orchestra, a stunning baritone vocalist Finn Sagal and two youth choruses: the WMS Children’s Choir and North Muskegon High School Choir. Add in seasonal favorites from around the globe, a spirited sing-along, a visit from Santa and you’ve got…Home for the Holidays! Sponsored by Warner Norcross Judd, and Mike & Kay Olthoff, the performance will be held in the Frauenthal Center, 425 W. Western Avenue. For tickets, starting at $29, call 231.727.8001, visit the Frauenthal box office or purchase online at westmichigansymphony.org.
“Every year, almost all orchestras perform a holiday concert. And their challenge is to make the program different enough from one season to the next,” shares Scott Speck. “After all, the number of well-known Christmas carols and songs is quite limited – perhaps a couple dozen, so you might imagine creating variety is challenging. Well, it turns out the repertoire isn’t really that limited–you just need to know where to look. This year our holiday concert takes us on a musical journey around the world.”
Selections will also include Vaughan Williams’s Fantasia on Greensleeves; the polonaise fromRimsky-Korsakov’s Christmas Eve; the traditional song“Auld Lang Syne” and Johann Strauss Sr.’s Radetzky March.
Baritone Finn Sagal is quickly gaining international recognition for his rich, expressive timbre and stylistic versatility across operatic and concert repertoire. Sagal brings a dynamic presence to both operatic stages and concert halls. Equally at home in classic American standards and the music of Mozart and Stravinsky, he continues to distinguish himself as a compelling young artist to watch. Sagal earned his master’s degree from the Yale School of Music. Additional honors include the Ginger & Jim Meyer Centennial Award from the American Opera Society of Chicago.
Under the direction of Beth Simko, guests will also enjoy performances by the North Muskegon High School Choir—which includes both high school and middle school students—and the WMS Children’s Choir, made up of singers ages 8–13. 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.
Multifaceted Jazz artist Paul Keller Brings his Celebrated Quintet to The Block for A Jazzy Christmas
The Michigan-based Paul Keller Quintet is dedicated to delighting audiences with their unique brand of high-energy, top-shelf jazz and swing. They have recently added a 4 p.m. performance of A Jazzy Christmas at The Block on Saturday, December 13 (an evening performance has sold out) where guests can enjoy an afternoon of holiday jazz featuring piano, vocals and vibraphone. Tickets are $60 for table seats and $40 for floor seats. To purchase, call 231.726.3231, visit westmichigansymphony.org or in person at The Block, 360 W. Western Avenue, Muskegon.
Jazz string bassist Paul Keller is a true multi-talent: a highly respected master of his instrument, a prolific composer, and an exceptional arranger for both small and large ensembles. He is also an educator, entertainer, impresario, devoted student and advocate of the Great American Songbook, and an accomplished bandleader of several groups. In addition, he is an in-demand sideman who has performed around the world with numerous jazz luminaries.
Keller’s ensembles are well known and widely admired throughout Michigan. His groups have been featured at many regional music festivals, including the Detroit International Jazz Festival, the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, the Ann Arbor Jazz and Blues Festival, the Michigan Jazz Festival, and the Flint Jazz Festival. Paul has been recognized with several honors, including the West Michigan Jazz Society’s 2001 Jazz Musician of the Year award and the Detroit Music Awards’ 2002 Outstanding Jazz Instrumentalist award.
Clickity Clack Ho Ho Ho Unique Storybook Series Returns to The Block
What would the holidays be without the West Michigan Symphony Brass Quintet “reindeer” performing great seasonal music for youngsters? Based on the book by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin, Clickity Clack Ho Ho Ho takes the audience on a visit to Farmer Brown’s barn to find out what the animals are up to for Christmas. Families and children ages 3 to 8, will enjoy costumed musicians, live narration, engaging activities, and music written to accompany this fun holiday story, along with graphics displayed on a 20-foot screen. Two back-to-back performances each lasting approximately 45 minutes, will be held at 10:00 and 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, December 6 at The Block, 360 W. Western Avenue, Muskegon. For tickets, $5 for children and $10 for adults, call 231.726.3231 or visit westmichigansymphony.org.
About West Michigan Symphony & The Block
An anchor cultural organization headquartered in Muskegon celebrating its 86th 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. The WMS also operates The Block, a 115-seat listening room for the musically curious complementing the WMS’s mainstage orchestra offerings with jazz, classical and more. WMS concerts and education events bring 18,500 people—more than 30% of whom are children and students—downtown annually, making it the largest performing arts organization on the West Shore.
Media
If media is interested in attending and covering a WMS event, a limited number of media passes are available. Please contact Carla Flanders for more information. For media resources including photos, click HERE.
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