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REVIEW: Hosted by Jordan Rich, renowned Broadcast Hall of Fame recipient, author, veteran, and Boston radio legend Ron Della Chiesa celebrated his 85th birthday with a marvelous bash

Posted on March 1 by The Sleepless Critic

Ron Della Chiesa still spends his life doing the very thing that he loves best. When he is not sharing his extensive music knowledge on the air on Strictly Sinatra and Music America Sundays on Easy 99.1 FM or announcing for the Boston Symphony Orchestra or for Tanglewood under a warm summer sun, one of his biggest loves is opera. A frequent visitor to the MET, Ron’s father was an opera singer and Ron could passionately talk about opera from Giacomo Puccini to Marcello Giordani, two opera dynamos who are also the names of Ron and his wife Joyce’s beloved cats. Ron knows so much about opera that during the night of his 85^th birthday, he shared a little known fact about a famous opera singer and how the Phantom of the Opera musical really got its roots.

Raffaels in Hingham, MA Photo by Louise Lori Patricia

To the swinging sounds of Rico Barr and his Jump and Jive Band and hosted by Jordan Rich, Ron Della Chiesa’s 85^th birthday took place to a full house at Raffaels in Hingham, Massachusetts on Friday, February 17, the night before his real birthday.

Host Jordan Rich and Ron Della Chiesa Photo by Louise Lori Patricia

It seemed not so long ago that Ron was turning 70 and didn’t feel a bit like it. Still happily working in Broadcasting at 85, he still makes guest appearances to talk about Broadcast history, his popular book with bestselling author Erica Ferencik called Radio My Way and will be quick to tell anyone what still makes him fond of radio after all these years. Always good natured and positive, the theme of his birthday bash was ‘The Best is Yet to Come,’ not only named after a Sinatra song but the personal slogan of his amazing life.

Surprise appearance by Cha-Chi Loprete Photo by Jeanne Denizard

Tenor Matthew D i Battista sang the National Anthem to open this special evening. With guests invited to dress in red, people took to the dance floor to swing to an extensive list of American Standards performed by Rico’s band. The elegant evening even included a couple of songs Ron sang from Sinatra’s classic tunes.

Tenor Matthew DiBattista sings the National Anthem From L to R Ron Della Chisa Matthew DiBattista and Jordan-Rich Photo credit to Louise Lori Patricia

Music Director for the Boston Symphony Orchestra Andris Nelsons, renowned Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart, and popular jazz musicians Bo and Bill Winiker were among the special guests that sent their birthday wishes via phone. Popular DJ and close friend Cha-Chi Loprete surprised Ron with his presence. Born in Quincy, MA, Quincy Mayor Koch proclaimed February 18 as Ron Della Chiesa Day among many of Ron’s generous gifts. The evening also included birthday cake, cocktails, table seating, and countless guests reminiscing with Ron about his blessed life. Ron called it a magical evening he won’t soon forget!

Birthday slideshow produced by Christopher Desprez

Visit Strictly Sinatra and Music-America’s Facebook fan page for more photos of this celebrated evening. Ron’s Della Chiesa’s Strictly Sinatra and Music America offer occasional dance parties at Raffaels in Hingham, Massachusetts. The next event will be Ron Della Chiesa Strictly Sinatra Tribute Dance on November 3. Email musicnotnoise@aol.com, visit musicnotnoise.com or call Executive Producer Paul Schlosberg at 617-633-5100. To learn more about Ron, click here and listen to him on Easy 99.1 FM on Sunday night on Music America and Strictly Sinatra. Be sure to check out his memoir Radio My Way by Ron Della Chiesa and Erica Ferencik.

REVIEW: Featuring John Williams’s multi-faceted score, ‘Home Alone in Concert’ made a bustling, merry return to Symphony Hall

Posted on January 9, 2019 by The Sleepless Critic

Kicking off with the familiar drumbeat of the 20^th Century Fox fanfare performed live before the film’s opening credits, The Boston Pops presented Home Alone in Concert with style and a few surprises as this popular 1990 Christmas comedy film returned to Symphony Hall from December 29 and 30. Much like the Boston Pops’ ‘in concert’ predecessors featuring classic films such as West Side Story, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Nosferatu, Singin’ in the Rain, and Psycho, the Boston Pops enhances the unique tone of each film from score to sound effects, making it an unforgettable cinematic experience. Led by Keith Lockhart, it doesn’t get much better than watching a feature film on the big screen alongside the Boston Pops’ clever orchestration. Click here for more information on the Boston Pops.

It was a particular treat to be greeted by the Wellesley High School Keynote Singers and Rice Street Singers who performed a few lighthearted a capella holiday hits as the audience filed into the Symphony Hall lobby before the film started. The anticipation of Home Alone in Concert was palpable, heightened by an uproarious applause as the film started and enthusiasm that continued throughout the performance.

A heartwarming film full of high jinks and relatable family humor, Home Alone features the McAllister family as they prepare to embark on a Christmas trip to Paris and through a series of unforeseeable circumstances, leave their youngest child, Kevin, portrayed by Macaulay Culkin, home alone. Directed by Christopher Columbus, Home Alone features a hilarious cast that includes the late, great John Candy, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O’Hara, and John Heard.

From heartwarming to hectic to haunting, Academy award-winning composer John Williams offers a bit of everything in Home Alone’s multi-faceted score. Songs from the film’s soundtrack such as Run Run Rudolph by Chuck Berry and I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas by the Drifters are left to the original artists, but John Williams’s compelling score featuring the Academy Award-nominated song, Somewhere in My Memory were performed by the orchestra.

Home Alone writer John Hughes was gifted with the ability to capture the voice of a young generation and he does a remarkable job depicting the perspective of mischievous and utterly adorable Kevin McAllister as he attempts to fend for himself. Though some of the movie is a bit far-fetched, it remains as enjoyable as it was close to 30 years ago before cell phones were a daily part of life.

Holiday Pops presents ‘Home Alone in Concert’ Photo courtesy of Jeanne Denizard

Not only is Home Alone on the verge of celebrating its 30^th anniversary since its release, but Macauley Culkin is all grown up and has reemerged recently in a reenactment of pivotal scenes from the original film to demonstrate the magic of Google Assistant. With the same twinkle in his eye, Culkin adds a new dimension to those film scenes while keeping the spirit of the original film intact.

Home Alone in Concert was produced by Film Concerts Live! In August, Keith Lockhart will conduct the Boston Pops to perform Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert at Tanglewood. Click here for more information on the Boston Pops and upcoming Boston Symphony Orchestra events.

REVIEW: Captivating and lighthearted, Boston’s annual Holiday Pops as festive as ever

Posted on December 19, 2018 by The Sleepless Critic

In its 23^rd year, The Holiday Pops are in full swing and as festive as ever! Illustration and illumination dominated this year’s performances woven into a wide spectrum of Christmas carols, spiritual hymns, and holiday traditions. Whether it’s the excitement of the all-volunteer Tanglewood Festival Chorus, the Boston Pops adding their own unique, personal flair, or their highly anticipated sing-along, The Holiday Pops makes it easy to alleviate the stress of the season and happily embrace what truly matters. Sponsored by Fidelity Investments and led by Keith Lockhart, The Holiday Pops at Boston Symphony Hall continues through Christmas Eve. Click here for more information and tickets.

Elegantly adorning the intrinsically-detailed gold balconies are twinkling lights on thick, festive wreaths, just a sampling of the stunning surroundings inside Symphony Hall. During the show, the stage spontaneously came to life with a variety of scenery illuminated above the stage from flickering candles to colorful, dancing snowflakes.

This beautiful performance of Holiday Pops delivered equal doses of reflective material and lightheartedness, the first half playful and spiritual. Leroy Anderson’s A Christmas Festival which included Deck the Halls, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, and Silent Night kicked off a memorable first half. The Boston Pops orchestra performed a harmonious and airy rendition of Parade of the Wooden Soldiers accompanied by a bright, festive short film created with original artwork and animation by FableVision Studios.

The Holidays Pops reflected on the revelation of Jesus during Shepherd’s Chorus as well as The Festival of Lights in an increasingly uplifting Songs of Freedom: A Celebration of Chanukah featuring detailed portraits illustrated by children’s book artist, Judith Clark. With stirring excerpts from O Little Town of Bethlehem, What Child is This, Go Tell it On the Mountain, and more, acclaimed baritone David McFerrin narrated The Christmas Story illustrated with Tomie dePaola’s original artwork.

Brimming with beloved classic Christmas carols and guest appearances by Santa and more, the second half of Holiday Pops was a vibrant, yuletide spectacle. While bulbs glowing to the beat, the jolly Tanglewood Festival Chorus delivered a string of Christmas waltzes, singalongs, and more including the annual reading of Clement Charke Moore’s Twas The Night Before Christmas, read enthusiastically by special guest, Boston journalist Janet Wu.

Boston’s charming signature versions of Sleigh Ride and the always clever and amusing 12 Days of Christmas were welcome additions to the mix as Santa Claus made his grand entrance. Holiday Pops concluded with Let There Be Peace on Earth, as Earth shone overhead, brilliantly conveyed the quiet hope for the coming New Year.

The Boston Pops presents the beloved holiday film, ‘Home Alone in Concert’ with live orchestra December 29 and 30. Photo credit to Twentieth Century Fox/Boston Pops

Before ringing in the New Year, The Boston Pops will offer special presentations of Christmas film favorite, Home Alone featuring the music of John Williams with live orchestra at Symphony Hall on December 29 and 30. The Boston Pops will cap off the year with their annual New Year’s Eve concert led by actor, animator, singer, and filmmaker, Seth McFarlane.

All performances take place at Boston Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave in Boston, Massachusetts. Click here for more information and tickets, through SymphonyCharge at 888-266-1200, and at the Symphony Hall Box Office, 301 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, Massachusetts. The Holiday Pops are also available at home with A Boston Pops Christmas: Live from Symphony Hall album through ITunes, Amazon, and Amazon MP3.

REVIEW: The Boston Pops blended uplifting Bernstein tribute with sizzling footwork in ‘Dance to the Movies’

Posted on June 22, 2018 by The Sleepless Critic

The Boston Pops turned up the heat as dancers from Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, and America’s Got Talent as well as American Idol finalists joined Academy Award-nominee Lesley Ann Warren as Scott Stander presented Dance to the Movies on June 9 at Symphony Hall. Conducted by renowned Music Director Keith Lockhart and filled with memorable moments from some of Hollywood and Broadway’s most popular films, Dance to the Movies lit the stage as part of Boston Pops 133^rd spectacular season. Dedicated to legendary, Lawrence-born composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein’s centennial this season, click here for upcoming Boston Pops performances including details for the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular on July 4.

Boston Pops Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops_WT26691 (Winslow Townson)

Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops (Winslow Townson)

Before launching into Dance to the Movies, The Boston Pops performed a few remarkable Bernstein selections which included an urgent, masterful orchestration composed by John Williams, a piece first conducted for Bernstein’s 70^th anniversary called, To Lenny! To Lenny! The orchestration, with equal parts bursting triumph and quiet contemplation, set the perfect tone for this uplifting show. The Bernstein tribute continued with sparkling and upbeat Overture to Candide and the chiming, peerless orchestration of Bernstein’s spiritual Simple Song from Mass.

Boston Pops John Williams and Leonard Bernstein at Harvard Night at the Pops, June 6, 1989 (Donald Dietz)

Winner of 2017’s Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Concerto Competition and recipient of Harry & Marion Dubbs Brookline Youth Concerts Award, captivating violinist Haig Hovsepian, delivered a passionate and intense solo performance as he played Sibelius’s First Movement: Allegro moderato, from Violin Concerto in D Minor. An especially touching moment occurred when a couple of his proud family members rushed to the stage to congratulate him after he finished his piece.

The Boston Pops seamlessly tied in Bernstein’s tribute with a sensational film dance montage by Susan Dangel and Dick Bartlett, weaving in dance scenes from Risky Business, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Burn After Reading, The Greatest Showman, Pulp Fiction, Mrs. Doubtfire, My Best Friend’s Wedding and more to acclaimed dance songs from Bernstein’s musical masterpiece, West Side Story.

Puttin’ on the Ritz Photo courtesy of Hilary Scott

Boasting an enormously talented cast, Dance to the Movies offered vintage flair by Bair/Pututau costumes and sizzling footwork, taking on classic numbers like Puttin’ on the Ritz and Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend/Material Girl from the film, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Hearkening to the age of Fred Astaire, dancers dressed in gold Lemay cocktail dresses and suits with coat and tails then delivered a double take of dancers dressed in Marilyn Monroe’s signature pink gowns with dripping diamonds respectively. A gorgeously sparkling fringed gown seemed to have a life of its own on Anna Trebunskaya as she swayed with Tristan MacManus to the spicy number, Cuban Pete from the film, The Mask.

Academy Award-nominee Lesley Ann Warren, a television and film veteran known for Cinderella and Clue, delivered a reflective Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany’s and a flirtatious version of Blues in the Night from the film by the same name. Warren still has that charismatic charm as she engaged the audience.

Lesley Ann Warren in her Cinderella crown Photo courtesy of the Boston Pops

Dance to the Movies tackled Broadway with dance melodies from Chicago and Grease, which featured a performance by American Idol finalist Vonzell Solomon singing Roxy Hart. Vonzell delivered a show stopping performance singing I’ll Always Love You from The Bodyguard before taking the stage with American Idol finalist Von Smith for a stirring tribute to the late Marvin Hamlisch including the songs, Through the Eyes of Love from the film, Ice Castles and The Way We Were.

Dance to the Movies takes on ‘Chicago’ Photo courtesy of Hilary Scott

One of the most impressive dance performances seemed a dangerous feat to the tune, Unchained Medley from the film, Ghost sung by Von Smith. Featuring Randi Strong and Jonathan Platero, it was a rapturous, athletic number recreating a scene from the film featuring remarkable flips and daring spins. Dirty Dancing’s iconic dance number, (I Had) The Time of My Life, featuring a trio of couples, was a beautiful display complete with The Lift.

American Idol finalist Von Smith Photo courtesy of the Boston Pops

Dance to the Movies boasted Dancing with the Stars’ Tristan MacManus, Anna Trebunskaya, Magda Fialek, Anya Fuchs and Oksana Platero, from So You Think You Can Dance Jonathan Platero, Randi Strong, and Jaymz Tuaileva, America’s Got Talent’s Antonio Martinez, with Carl James Bair, Alisa Davtyan, Timothy Lewis, Kateryna Klishyna, and Tony Pututau. Click here to see where Dance to the Movies will appear next.

Dedicated to legendary, Lawrence-born composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein’s centennial this season, click here for upcoming Boston Pops performances including details for the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular on July 4. Follow Boston Pops on Twitter and Facebook.

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Holiday Pops makes annual return to Symphony Hall with sing-a-long carols, holiday cheer, and Santa Claus

Posted on November 30, 2017 by The Sleepless Critic

The spirit of the season comes knocking as the Holiday Pops make their way to Symphony Hall bringing sing-a-long carols and brimming with holiday cheer. For over 20 years, decking out Symphony Hall has become an annual Boston tradition, seeped in the luminous sights and sounds of the season and welcoming audiences from near and far. At the helm once again is renowned maestro Keith Lockhart to conduct Holiday Pops 2017 from Tuesday, December 5 and continuing through Christmas Eve. Cap off the year and return to Symphony Hall for a special New Year’s Eve Party featuring the Boston Pops led by returning bandleader Bo Winiker. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Keith Lockhart leads the Holiday Pops Photo courtesy of Stu Rosner/BSO

Holiday Pops features approximately 40 evening and matinee performances featuring an array of beloved carols, storytelling, and a traditional holiday sing-along. Morning kid matinees are also available which includes photos with Santa and much more. Children under 2 get in free. Kicking off on December 2, The Holiday Pops will also be on the road touring New England with Keith Lockhart and Santa in tow for The Boston Pops Holiday Tour. Click here for tour dates and locations.

Bring Holiday Pops home with the Boston Pops all-live CD. Savor the sounds of the season right in the living room with A Boston Pops Christmas: Live from Symphony Hall, virtually bringing the listener right through the Symphony Hall doors to enjoy a time-honored Christmas tradition for the entire family.

With Keith Lockhart leading the Boston Pops, A Boston Pops Christmas: Live from Symphony Hall features a gorgeous Christmas medley from American Idol finalist Melinda Doolittle along with audience favorites such as Dr. Seuss’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas, The Twelve Days of Christmas, Sleigh Ride, The Christmas Song, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Merrily We Sing Along.

Photo courtesy of Bo Winiker

Click here for tickets, call SymphonyCharge at 888-266-1200, and are also available at the Symphony Hall Box Office, 301 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, Massachusetts. A Boston Pops Christmas: Live from Symphony Hall CD is available through ITunes, Amazon, and Amazon MP3.

Sting, John Mellencamp, Natalie Merchant, and ‘Jaws’ part of Tanglewood’s summer season

Posted on May 8, 2017 by The Sleepless Critic

What does an underwater predator and an alien paired with Mozart, Mahler, Sondheim, and some of the biggest names in music have in common? They are arriving at Tanglewood this summer.

John Mellencamp, Emmylou Harris,and Carlene Carter perform in Tanglewood July 1 Courtesy of BSO Publicity photo

Overlooking stunning views in the Berkshires, the Koussevitzky Music Shed will once again deliver a wide variety of entertainment on Tanglewood’s stage. Featuring legendary music guests such as Sting, Diana Ross, Emmylou Harris, James Taylor and more, Tanglewood’s season kicks off with renowned BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons leading the Tanglewood Festival Chorus in a performance of Mahler Symphony No. 2, Resurrection on Friday, July 7. The season concludes with The Boston Pops featuring Melissa Etheridge on Sunday, September 3. Performances are held at Koussevitzky Music Shed in Lenox, Massachusetts. Click here for tickets and further information.

As the Boston Pops season celebrates the movie magic of acclaimed composer John Williams, Tanglewood delivers a few gems from this year’s Boston Pops season. That underwater predator is none other than Jaws as Keith Lockhart conducts the Boston Pops in John Williams’ Academy Award-winning score live along with the film screening. Directed by Steven Spielberg, Jaws in Concert arrives just before summer on Sunday, June 18. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, another Spielberg classic getting the screening live with orchestra treatment is E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial in Concert on Friday, August 25. Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops will perform the Academy award-winning score by John Williams.

Just a few of the celebrity music guests taking the Tanglewood stage are Diana Ross, John Mellencamp, Natalie Merchant, Sting, Melissa Etheridge, Boz Scaggs and Michael McDonald, as well as Four Voices which includes The Indigo Girls, Joan Baez, and Mary Chapin Carpenter. Best-selling author and humorist David Sedaris will share his insights and his new book, Theft by Finding in his Tanglewood debut on Sunday, August 20.

Great Performances - Joan Baez 75th Birthday Celebration

Four Voices: Joan Baez, Indigo Girls and Mary Chapin Carpenter perform on Saturday, June 17 Photo courtesy of the BSO

A number of audience favorites will also return such as five time Grammy award-winner James Taylor, John Williams’ Film Night, Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, Tanglewood on Parade, and Tanglewood Family Concert where attendees under age 18 are free.

Tanglewood - Diana Ross (photo by Al Watson)

The Legendary Diana Ross performs on Wednesday, August 30 Photo courtesy of Al Watson/BSO

Throughout the season, Tanglewood offers a wide array of classical works from Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Schubert, Mozart, Beethoven, and much more. Located at 297 West Street in Lenox, Massachusetts, the Tanglewood season also includes special music presentations with Underscore Fridays. Ticket packages are available and attendees under age 40 can get tickets for just 20 dollars. Click here for further details. Click here for the entire Tanglewood schedule and tickets or call SymphonyCharge at 1-888-266-1200. Like Tanglewood Music Festival on Facebook for all the latest updates.

Queen Latifah, Ben Folds, ‘Jaws,’ and ‘E.T.’ part of the Boston Pops ‘Celebrating John Williams’ season

Posted on April 7, 2017 by The Sleepless Critic

Sometimes the most tremendous talent is located right in the backyard. Responsible for a wealth of critically-acclaimed and celebrated music scores over a career that spans six decades and beyond, Boston Pops Laureate conductor John Williams has been nominated for 50 Academy Awards, winning five. Legendary film scores for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Jaws as well as the Olympic Fanfare and theme and NBC Sunday Night Football are just a glimpse of the spectacular works by the incomparable John Williams.

In honor of John’s 85^th birthday and his incredible accomplishments over the years, The Boston Pops dedicate their season to Celebrating John Williams from Wednesday, May 10 through Saturday, June 17 at Boston Symphony Hall. The season will kick off with multi-talented actress and singer Queen Latifah from Wednesday, May 10 to Thursday, May 11 and finishing off with the 25th anniversary of Gospel Night on Saturday, June 17.

Queen Latifah opens the Boston Pops season Photo courtesy of Boston Pops

The Boston Pops also offers a pre-season concert series hosted by Indiana Jones star, Karen Allen and the live recording of Boston Pops CD release on Friday, April 7. Click here for Boston Pops tickets and here for more information on upcoming BSO concerts.

Led by accomplished conductor Keith Lockhart, a compelling roster of renowned artists and celebrity appearances enliven this spring’s Boston Pops season. The stage and screen have never been brighter with iconic artists such as musicians Ben Folds, Leslie Odom, Jr, and the Party with the B-52s. Other highlights include The Beatles & Beyond, Jaws in Concert, Mamma Mia, E.T. in Concert, Cirque De la Symphonie, Lights, Camera, Music, The Music of John Williams, and more.

Ben Folds Photo courtesy of the Boston Pops

The Boston Pops presents the always phenomenal and wildly-popular Gospel Night once again led by Charles Floyd and the return of Film Night with John Williams. Click here for a full list of performances.

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Leslie Odom, Jr from Hamilton will perform with the Boston Pops Photo courtesy of the Boston Pops

Click here for tickets, call SymphonyCharge at 1-888-266-1200, or visit the Symphony Hall box office during business hours at 301 Massachusetts Ave in Boston, Massachusetts. Follow The Boston Pops on Facebook and Twitter for updates.

REVIEW: Magnificent and visually-stunning, Holiday Pops offers flawless holiday cheer

Posted on December 31, 2016 by The Sleepless Critic

Woven into a wide spectrum of Christmas carols, spiritual hymns, and holiday music capped off with a rousing sing-along, is the stuff that makes the Holiday Pops so appealing each year. Whether it’s through the excitement of the all volunteer Tanglewood Festival Chorus or maestro Keith Lockhart sharing his own Christmas memories, The Boston Pops adds their own unique, personal flair to each heartfelt performance, making it easy to alleviate the stress of the season and happily embrace what truly matters each year. In its 21^st season, The Holiday Pops at Boston Symphony Hall continues through December 31. The Boston Pops also offers special presentations of the film, “Back to the Future” with live orchestra and New Year’s Eve led by acclaimed bandleader, Bo Winiker. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Elegantly adorning the intrinsically-detailed gold balconies are white, twinkling lights and multi-colored bulbs on thick, festive wreaths, just a sampling of the stunning, festive surroundings inside Symphony Hall. The hall also offers its share of playful, humorous decor including orchestra harps topped off with Santa hats. During the show, the stage spontaneously came to life with a variety of scenery reflected above the stage, from flickering candles to sweeping, dancing snowflakes. Holiday Pops also featured a stirring presentation of winter scenes created by visual artist and astronomer Jose Francisco Salgado, PhD. With a lit sky swirling violet with chiming bells, the presentation’s depiction the Northern lights to the song, The Adoration of the Magi from Three Botticelli Pictures lent a mystical, peaceful tone.

This powerful performance of Holiday Pops offered equal doses of reflective material and lightheartedness, the first half insightful and striking. A Christmas prelude that included Hark the Harold Angels Sing, kicked off a reflective, wondrous first half woven in with maestro Keith Lockhart’s personal reflections of the holiday season such as a wonderful story about his father. A lullaby sounding Christmas oratorio, Break Forth O Beauteous Heavenly Light followed by the Hanukkah song, Light One Candle depicted sacrifice, unity, and hope. Holiday Pops also offered a jubilant calypso of Mary’s Little Boy Child, as the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, dressed splendidly in black and white, playfully swayed to the beat.

Brimming with beloved classic Christmas carols and guest appearances by Santa and more, the second half of Holiday Pops was a vibrant, yuletide spectacle of Christmas cheer. While old fashioned Christmas bulbs glowed to the beat, The jolly Tanglewood Festival Chorus delivered a string of Christmas waltzes, singalongs, and more including the annual reading of Clement Charke Moore’s Twas The Night Before Christmas by special guest, NBC Boston’s Melody Mendez. Boston’s delightful, signature versions of Sleigh Ride and the incredible and amusing 12 Days of Christmas were welcome additions to the mix as Santa Claus expertly conducted the rousing Chorus. Holiday Pops gave a final encore of Let There Be Peace on Earth, as Earth shone overhead, brilliantly conveyed the quiet hope for the upcoming New Year.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra has a tremendous lineup in the New Year! All performances take place at Boston Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave in Boston, Massachusetts. Click here for tickets to any of BSO’s upcoming performances, through SymphonyCharge at 888-266-1200, and at the Symphony Hall Box Office, 301 Massachusetts Ave, Boston, Massachusetts. Listen to the Holiday Pops at home with “A Boston Pops Christmas: Live from Symphony Hall” album available through ITunes, Amazon, and Amazon MP3.