MetWinds Concert: “Ring in the Holidays”

The MetWinds invites the community to kick off the holiday season with their annual holiday pops concert “Ring in the Holidays” on Saturday, December 5, 2026 at 7:00 PM, held at the Church of St. John of Damascus, 300 West St., Dedham, MA. A festive cocktail hour will precede the concert at 6:00 PM, and audience members can delight in amazing desserts after the show.

Guest conductor Mark Olson leads the band in a joyful program of holiday favorites and seasonal surprises. The concert opens with John Wasson's Christmas Celebration, a medley of beloved carols, followed by Norman Dello Joio's Variants on a Medieval Tune, built on the melody of "Good Christian Men, Rejoice." Julie Giroux's Christmas with Mozart puts a classical spin on the season, and Stephan Bulla's Rhapsody for Hanukkah weaves together traditional and popular Hanukkah songs.

The second half brings the swing and the sparkle: an Irving Berlin Christmas set arranged by Warren Barker, Sammy Nestico's big-band take Good Swing Wenceslas, and a concert suite from The Polar Express. The evening closes with a holiday-concert staple, Leroy Anderson's A Christmas Festival.

Mark Olson, Guest Conductor currently serves as Director of Bands at Harvard University, where he conducts the Sunday Jazz Ensemble and the Wind Ensemble, and works with the Harvard University Band. Mark has previously served as a guest conductor for the Metropolitan Wind Symphony and Interim Conductor of the Cambridge Symphony. In addition to conducting, Mr. Olson is an active trumpet performer and is a current member of the MetWinds. Mark has been a guest conductor and clinician for bands across Massachusetts, Connecticut, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Iowa.

Tickets are $20 for adults and free for children ages 15 and under. All proceeds will benefit St. John of Damascus. Tickets are available at the door or online at: stjohnd.org/pops

MetWinds also participates in the Card to Culture program, a collaboration between the Mass Cultural Council and the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program, and the Massachusetts Health Connector, by broadening accessibility to cultural programming.

For more information, visit metwinds.org or call the MetWinds Concert Line at (978) 419-1697. Questions may also be directed to info@metwinds.org.

Founded by Jerry Gardner in 1971, the Metropolitan Wind Symphony (MetWinds) is celebrating its 55th anniversary. The ensemble comprises over 70 talented woodwind, brass, and percussion players who audition for membership and seating. MetWinds enriches the cultural life of Greater Boston by offering audiences high-quality performances and giving its members opportunities for musical growth.

This and other MetWinds concerts are funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.