BY TED POTTS
TPOTTS@TRIBDEM.COM
Johnstown Symphony Orchestra will present a special gift to the audience at its annual holiday concert: The crowd will be invited to sing along with the symphony.
The orchestra will be joined by the Johnstown Symphony Chorus, Johnstown Concert Ballet and the a cappella quintet White Noise for the celebration, which should be one of the highlights of the holiday season in Greater Johnstown, said Maestro Istvan Jaray, the symphony’s music director.
“It will put us all in a festive mood,” he said.
The audience will have a chance to sing with the full symphony orchestra, Jaray said.
The crowd won’t just be sitting and listening; it will become part of the concert.
“It will be an absolutely wonderful, festive and colorful concert,” Jaray said, adding that it should set the mood for the entire holiday season.
Titled “Home for the Holidays,” the concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center on the Pitt-Johnstown campus in Richland Township. It will be the third concert of the symphony’s 2008-09 season.
The symphony orchestra will perform holiday tunes from around the world, and the chorus will present season-relevant excerpts from Handel’s “Messiah.”
The concert ballet will present selections from its recently staged presentation of “The Nutcracker.”
White Noise will provide several vocal selections. The quintet will join the symphony in its performance of the holiday favorite “Sleigh Ride.” The group also will sing “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.”
Members of White Noise are Nathan Santos, Kristen Santos, Mark Weakland, Beth Good and Doug Wilkins. Good and Nathan Santos also are members of the symphony orchestra, Good on keyboards and Santos on bass.
The symphony chorus will sing “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “Everywhere Christmas Tonight.”
Among the orchestra’s selections will be “Festive Christmas Overture,” “Channukah Overture,” “Brazilian Sleigh Bells” and “Troika from Lt. Kije Suite.”
Single admission and season tickets remain available, according to the symphony office.
Information on the concert is available by calling the office at 535-6738 and tickets, by calling 269-7200.
Christmas treat
What: Johnstown Symphony Orchestra’s holiday concert.
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center at Pitt-Johnstown.
Tickets: 269-7200.
Information: 535-6738.
