The DuPage Symphony Orchestra Presents Yuletide Cheer
Photo: DuPage Symphony Orchestra. Courtesy of: Natalia Dagenhart
“Christmas is a glorious time of the year, simple in origin, deep in meaning, beautiful in tradition and custom, rich in memories, and charitable in spirit,” said Thomas S. Monson. For the DuPage Symphony Orchestra it has become a good tradition to present annual holiday concerts that are deeply loved and appreciated by local music lovers. This time, the musicians have prepared a concert program called Yuletide Cheer, which will be presented in two unforgettable concerts that will create sweet memories and enlighten our spirit. They will take place at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Sunday, December 12 at Wentz Concert Hall in Naperville.
“Continuing our celebratory theme through the holiday season, the DSO presents a family-friendly program of seasonal favorites guaranteed to bring Yuletide Cheer,” says the DuPage Symphony Orchestra website.
Since 1954, the DuPage Symphony Orchestra has been sharing with us the beauty of classical symphony music. These volunteer musicians find peace, comfort and a sense of life in performing musical masterpieces and delivering joy and happiness to their audience. Needless to say, the heart of the orchestra is Music Director and Conductor Barbara Schubert, who was appointed to this position at the beginning of the 1986-87 season as only the second music director in the DuPage Symphony Orchestra’s history. Her mastership, enthusiasm and never ending energy attract and aspire both musicians and audience members.
A popular Christmas piece called A Carol Symphony will be featured during the Yuletide Cheer concert program. Written by Victor Hely-Hutchinson, one of the most prodigiously talented British musicians of the early twentieth century, this composition will sound familiar to every audience member. The reason is that this symphony includes a sequence of 'preludes', or movements, where each movement is based on a single carol.
Photo by Natalia Dagenhart
Being the youngest son of Sir Walter Hely-Hutchinson, the last Governor of Cape Colony in South Africa, Hely-Hutchinson had a short but bright life while living through such social disasters as two world wars, the plague, and the great depression. The societal problems didn’t affect his musical achievements as he is known as one of the most talented and versatile musicians of his time. His Carol Symphony became his best known large scale work. This four-movement work was designed “to express the spirit of joy called up by memories of the romance and mystery of the manger.”
Holidays spirit will be also brought by a breathtaking arrangement of popular Jewish songs by music director and conductor Peter Jaffe. He arranged the songs of Symph-Hanukkah in 2018–2019, and since then this arrangement has become very popular and has been performed by many orchestras at their holiday concerts. This piece will remind you of the Jewish Festival of Lights and will include well-known Hanukkah songs such as “Rock of Ages,” the “Dreidel Song,” “Who Can Retell?” and more.
What else can audience members expect during this concert program? As the DuPage Symphony Orchestra website mentions, “Poignant settings of the Coventry Carol, the Huron Carol, A Cambridge Carol, and more – plus musical depictions by Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and maybe even a real-life visit by Santa himself! – add to the fun of this year’s DSO holiday concert.”
Photo: Courtesy of DuPage Symphony Orchestra
I can only add that we all need this Yuletide Cheer in our lives, especially now. This holiday season and particularly this concert program prepared by the DuPage Symphony Orchestra will bring us much needed peace and hope. As Phillips Brooks said, “the earth has grown old with its burden of care, but at Christmas it always is young, the heart of the jewel burns lustrous and fair, and its soul full of music breaks the air, when the song of angels is sung.”
These family friendly concerts will be held this Sunday, December 12 at 2 pm and at 4 pm. Tickets start at only $6 and you can purchase your tickets from the North Central box office here or by calling 630-637-SHOW. Visit the DSO website here and view full details on the 2021-22 concert season. Single tickets are on sale now. Limited subscriptions are still available by calling the DSO office at (630) 778-1003. The orchestra also has GIFT CERTIFICATES available for the holidays. Purchase one at the Yuletide concert or by calling the DSO office at (630) 778-1003.
Natalia Dagenhart
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