Symphony delivers festive holiday fare
BUTLER TWP — Traditions are the comfort food of the holidays.
The Butler County Symphony Orchestra beautifully paid tribute in their Holiday Traditions concert Saturday night at the Butler Intermediate High School Auditorium.
One of the most universally welcomed classical works is George Fredric Handel's “Messiah.” Capably aided by Meghan Dewald, soprano; Kara Cornell, mezzo-soprano; Kirk Daugherty, tenor; Raymond Blackwell, bass; and the Slippery Rock University Concert Chorus, the pared-down orchestra of strings-only performed the Christmas portion of the monumental work admirably.
From the overture to the final chorus, the music was wonderful. The balance between voices and instruments was impeccable.
Director Matthew Kramer controlled the blend and maintained the glorious melodies. Each soloist brought his or her own luster to the Baroque intricacies and ornamentation of the arias. The Slippery Rock Concert Choir, prepared by Stephen Barr, added new life to the familiar choruses.
Another tradition is ending the Christmas portion of the “Messiah” with one song from the Easter portion: “The Hallelujah Chorus.” It is so well loved that many in the audience were tempted to join in. And regardless of the truth of the tradition, the audience stood throughout the segment until the triumphal final notes.
What would the holidays be without the whimsical compositions of Leroy Anderson? First was a charming medley of Christmas favorites titled “Christmas Festival.” The full orchestra navigated the stylistic and rhythmic changes beautifully.“Hail to Christmas” was a lovely nod to the creative genius of Victor Herbert. The rarely performed piece, lifted from his famous “Babes in Toyland,” was a gentle waltz tempo. Sadly, the orchestra almost overpowered the lyrics sung by a combined chorus from Seneca Valley and Butler High schools. Nevertheless, the piece was pleasant and deserving of more use in the future.Next came the deceptively difficult “Donkey Carol” by popular composer John Rutter. The combined chorus sang with youthful joy and practiced precision, making the piece a delight for all to hear.A cycle of three “Chanukah Songs” arranged by Lee Norris started out with the perky “Dreidel Song.” The chorus bounced through it with enthusiasm. Sadly, in the second and third songs, while equally melodic, the vocals were almost inaudible as the orchestra all-but completely overshadowed the chorus.“A Musicological Journey Through the Twelve Days of Christmas” by Craig Courtney is another work that is much more challenging than it sounds. Each “day” of the traditional song is set in a different style, starting with Gregorian chant and concluding with a John Philip Sousa march. The chorus performed each segment with expertise to receptive chuckles from the audience.Following the traditional “Christmas Pops Sing-along,” the orchestra returned to Leroy Anderson's “Sleigh Ride” as Butler's traditional conclusion to a festive Holiday Traditions concert.
