FULL HOUSE, FULL STAGE, FULL HEARTS, FULL EVENING
December 15, 2015 marked the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra’s Christmas Celebration with Holiday Presence.
Performed in front of a sold-out house, the third concert in the 2015/16 series “PASSION – POWER – PRESENCE – PRIOR” continued to impress. Unlike the Legends of Fire concert, the mood was more ethereal. The emphasis was solidly on the holidays beginning with Anderson’s A Christmas Festival. Under the direction of Dr. Richard Prior, the spirit of the evening continued appropriately with Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, which was performed with precision and delicacy.
Then, with impressive numbers, the combined Honor’s Choir, comprised of members of the LaGrange High School Chorus and the Troup Comprehensive High School Chorus, joined the LSO on stage. Along with soloists, Dr. Beth Everett and Dr. Andrea Mueller, we were treated to Vivaldi’s Gloria in D Major.
Dr. Everett and Dr. Mueller are shown here receiving bouquets of flowers along with standing applause from the audience. The combined choir performed as a well-polished unit with fine diction and presentation. It was impressive to see these young adults achieve the level of collaboration it takes to function with uniformity. After the Gloria in D, they remained on stage for the traditional holiday sing-a-long.
Donning a festive red scarf, Dr. Prior generated a large number of smiles both in the audience and on stage. For the sing-a-long, all the lyrics were printed in the program so everyone could participate.
The evening didn’t end with the last carol being sung. The audience and the performers seemed to melt together with lots of congratulations on a fine performance and well wishes for the holidays. In that same sentiment, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year. Thank you for supporting the arts in LaGrange, and especially the LSO.
