When you think of the holidays, specifically the Christmas season, do visions of sugarplums dance in your head? Is there a desire to seek out chestnuts roasting on an open fire, or the urge to repeat “Let it snow!” when there’s simply no place to go?
Holiday music is a major part of the season’s culture, setting the tone and the background for many activities and family gatherings. It’s so powerful that the holidays are one of the only times of year when most radio stations completely change up their format to include songs from previous decades.
The talented musicians at the Glacier Symphony understand the yearning for these merry and bright songs, and plan to bring a whole slate of them to the stage on Dec. 17 and 18 for the Holiday POPS! concert. Both shows will take place at Flathead High School’s Performance Hall.
John Zoltek, music director and conductor at the Glacier Symphony and Chorale, said the symphony only puts on this concert every couple of years, because it adds extra demands to their already-busy December, which kicks off with three performances of the “Messiah.”
“This is something we do biannually or every three years just simply because it’s way too much for the orchestra to do,” Zoltek said. “The show is about the classic or nostalgic pops repertoire, broken into European pops classics and American pops classic back from the 40s and the 30s.”
The evenings will start with the entire Nutcracker suite, which Zoltek said is a nod to the European traditions. The Ukrainian song “Carol of Bells” will also be part of the first half, along with works from Johann Strauss II, whose music is part of the European Christmas and New Year’s traditions.
The second half of the program will start with Émile Waldteufel’s classic “Skater’s Waltz,” which gained popularity in Europe and the United States. The American portion of the set will start with select pieces from Leroy Anderson, including “Sleigh Ride” and “Bugler’s Holiday.”
Following Anderson’s contributions, the symphony will tackle some of the American classics, such as “Christmas Song,” “White Christmas,” “Let It Snow,” and “Silver Bells.”
“We’re going to have a guest vocalist for those pieces,” Zoltek said.
Actually, Zoltek is hoping for a few guest vocalists: Defying the normal rules of decorum while experiencing the symphony, this last set will be a sing-along with the audience. The words to the songs will be printed in the programs, he said.
“I hope people join in,” he said.
The final song will be a “fun” piece called “Jingle Bells Forever,” Zoltek said, which is a mash-up of “Jingle Bells” and the patriotic powerhouse “Stars and Stripes Forever.”
Of course, there will be an encore as well, Zoltek said, but the song will stay a secret selection until the show.
The GSC hosts annual pops concerts in the summer, but this concert will be part of the organization’s Masterworks schedule. That means all youth up to grade 12 are admitted free.
“People should definitely reserve their tickets, though, otherwise it might be hard to sit people together,” Zoltek said.
The holiday concert is family friendly, and will include some nice surprises, including a visit from Santa Claus. The evening promises to be a good time, Zoltek said, because it’s an opportunity to relax and celebrate the season.
“Pops repertoires are always fun and relaxing. We’ll be goofing off onstage; I’ll be talking to the audience,” Zoltek said. “We like to do it all.”
The Holiday POPS! concert is Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 18 at 3 p.m. Tickets are available online at www.gscmusic.org or by contacting the GSC office at 406-407-7000.