The Central Ohio Symphony is eager for the community to join it in celebrating the festive season at its annual holiday concert. Music Director Jaime Morales-Matos will be conducting the orchestra in two identical concerts on Sunday, Dec. 11, at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. in the festively decorated Gray Chapel on the campus of Ohio Wesleyan University. Ohio Living/Sarah Moore Home of Delaware is sponsoring the concerts.
The concert will feature soprano Angel Tyler, of Delaware, as one of two guest artists. Tyler will be singing a selection from Handel’s Messiah, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” and other pieces, as well as leading a sing-along with the audience.
“Angel wowed the audience last December,” said Executive Director Warren W. Hyer. “We are thrilled to have her join us again.”
The second guest artist is Brian McCoy, of Dublin, who will perform on Irish uilleann pipes in the world premiere of Westerville composer Ken McCaw’s “Highland Holiday.”
“Uilleann pipes are traditional Irish pipes, related to but far musical than the Scottish bagpipes,” explained Hyer. “We have performed other works by Ken McCaw; he wrote this piece for Brian and the pipes, an instrument that many of us have never heard of, let alone seen played. This will be a unique experience for the orchestra and the audience!”
There will be new selections this year, including “Cradle in Bethlehem” and a Ukrainian carol, as well as selections from “The Nutcracker,” works by Leroy Anderson, and “The Polar Express.” As is the custom of Conductor Morales-Matos, the concert will end with “Radetzky March” by Johann Strauss.
Masks for the audience continue to be optional but are encouraged. The musicians will be masked. The Symphony asks concertgoers to stay home if they are not feeling well.
This will be the third concert in which the Symphony partners with the Delaware County District, Sunbury Community, and Ashley libraries to provide free tickets to young people. Any youth 17 and under can present their valid library card and get free admission to the concert, as well as a half-price ticket for an accompanying adult.
“The holiday concert is a great opportunity for our county’s children and youth to enjoy a festive concert for free and to treat their parents! Being the holiday concert, even very young library card holders should enjoy the music,” said Hyer.
There will again be free shuttle service from the parking lots on South Henry Street at Selby Stadium to the rear lower door of Gray Chapel. The shuttle service, funded by a grant from SourcePoint, will begin one hour before each performance and end one hour after the second performance.
More information about the concert and ticket availability is available on the Symphony website, www.centralohiosymphony.org, at the Symphony office at 24 E. Winter St., or by calling the Symphony at 740-362-1799.
