Lexington Symphony to Present Annual Holiday Concerts

Lexington Symphony is pleased to present a musical celebration of the holiday season with its annual matinee and evening holiday concerts on Friday, December 5, 2014, at Lexington High School Auditorium (251 Waltham Street, Lexington, MA). The Kids’ Holiday POPS! performance at 4 p.m. and the Holiday Fanfare! concert at 8 p.m. offer a festive atmosphere, popular carols, seasonal sing-alongs, and a very special guest from the North Pole.

The Kids’ Holiday POPS! matinee performance offers a program suited for families with young children, many of whom will count this experience as their very first symphony concert. Featured in the program will be Williams’s The Harry Potter Suite; Sylvestri’s The Polar Express; and a special arrangement by Lexington Symphony Music Director, Jonathan McPhee, of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker and the Mouse King with narration by George Mechem. Beloved holiday classics such as Frosty the Snowman, Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Santa Claus Is Coming to Town will also be presented. A special visitor from the North Pole will make an appearance at this 45-minute concert, bringing the magic and joy of the holiday season to life for children and adults alike.

The Symphony’s evening Holiday Fanfare! concert focuses on holiday favorites that evoke joyous memories with music from many parts of the world. The program lineup for this performance — which will feature Lexington High School Madrigal Singers — includes a brass quintet piece, La Mourisque from Danserye (Tylman, Susato); Wilhousky’s Carol of the Bells; R. Vaughan Williams’s English Folk Song Suite; and Holcombe’s Festive Sounds of Hanukah. McPhee’s rendition of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker and the Mouse King with narration by George Mechem will also be presented, along with The Christmas Song (Torme and Wells), A Christmas Festival Sing-Along (Finnegan), and other seasonal favorites.

Tickets for the afternoon (4 p.m.) concert are priced at $8 for children 12 and under, and $20 for adults. Tickets for the evening (8 p.m.) concert are $15 for students, and $40 for adults. Early ticket purchase for these popular concerts, which often sell out, is encouraged online at www.lexingtonsymphony.org or by phone at 781-523-9009. Based on availability, a limited number of tickets may be offered for purchase at the door.