OVS Pops Program Kicks off Holiday Season, November 25, 2007

The elves of the Ohio Valley Symphony are ready to deck the hall — in the historic Morris & Dorothy Haskins Theatre of The Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre in downtown Gallipolis, Ohio — with the sounds of the holiday season. Join the orchestra, under the direction of Music Director Maestro Ray Fowler, at 8 p.m. Saturday, December 1, for a program of traditional and familiar Christmas songs.

The evening starts with a grand flourish as the brass section of the orchestra ring in the season with Hark, the Herald Angels Sing and Joy to the World. Antiphonal brass quartets will perform Canzon Septimi Toni by Gabrieli. Selections by Corelli and Bizet provide a classic touch as well as Respighi’s hauntingly beautiful Adoration of the Magi.

Seasonal favorites such as O Tannenbaum and The First Noel are offered up in arrangements by the well loved pops arranger Carmen Dragon. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is the evocative tune sung by Judy Garland in “Meet Me in St. Louis.” The brass are featured again inA Canadian Brass Christmas. The program is rounded out with Winter Wonderland and I’ll Be Home for Christmas.

For the child in all of us, the OVS will perform selections from the popular movie “The Polar Express.” No pops program would becomplete without the crack of a whip as the orchestra dashes out Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride.

The Ohio Valley Symphony’s “Christmas Show” is the perfect way to set your mood for the holiday season. Enjoy the ambiance of our Victorian opera house with the beautiful holiday decor tastefully designed and displayed by Michael Brown.

Funding for the symphony is provided by Holzer Clinic and The Ann Carson Dater Endowment as well as by a grant from the Ohio Arts Council, a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally and economically.

The public is encouraged to attend rehearsals for free on Friday, Nov. 30, from 7-10 p.m. and on Saturday, Dec. 1 from 1-4 p.m. OVS Saturday dress rehearsals are an excellent way to introduce young children to symphonic music.

Tickets for the 8 p.m. concert are $22, $20 for seniors and $10 for students, and are available at the Ariel Dater Hall box office at 428 Second Ave. For more information call (740) 446-2787 (ARTS).