The sleigh bells you hear might be the ones on the Ariel Opera House stage as The Ohio Valley Symphony prepares for its 34th annual Christmas Show set for Dec. 2 at the historic Ariel Opera House, in Gallipolis.
Under the direction of Guest Conductor Steven Huang, The Christmas Show will be a mix of classical Christmas and holiday pops and other songs of the season. From 2004-2020, he served on the Ohio University faculty as director of orchestral activities. He is currently the music director of the New Westchester Symphony Orchestra.
The program, now a southeast Ohio tradition and always the first Saturday in December, is at 7:30 p.m. in the Ariel-Ann Carson Dater Performing Arts Centre, 426 Second Ave., Gallipolis. Locally-based Holzer Health System is the long time sponsor of the evening’s festivities.
Huang will begin the evening with a pre-concert chat at 6:45 p.m.
The scene will be set with a stirring arrangement of “Hark The Herald Angels Sing” and then we lift a proverbial cup with “Wassail Dances.” John Williams’ iconic music from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone will evoke the snowy holiday scenes at Hogwarts castle. The second half of the program will transition into favorite carols with “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” “Men of Good Will,” “The Holly and the Ivy” and more.
A post concert reception will feature some seasonal treats and to meet the musicians. The pre-concert chat, concert and post concert reception are all included in the price of the ticket, $26 for adults, $24 for seniors and $15 for students.
The OVS has a mission of bringing great music played by great artists to the Ohio Valley — and making orchestral music easy to love. The public is welcome to attend OVS rehearsals for free at 7-10 p.m. Dec. 1, and 1-4 p.m. Dec. 2. Open rehearsals are a great way for young and old alike to become more familiar with symphonic music, and they offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what goes into preparing an orchestral performance.
Ariel Opera House will also host Merry Tuba Christmas at 2 p.m. Dec. 9 and Yuletide Joy at 3 p.m. Dec. 10.
Source: The Athens News