It’s the last concert before Christmas for the Huronia Symphony Orchestra, and conductor Oliver Balaburski would love for you to be there this Sunday afternoon at
Oliver and his musicians have an impressive list of holiday favourites and those that would catch your ear at other times of the year, too. First off, that dear standard Sleigh Ride, by Leroy Anderson, which in Balaburski’s view, is synonymous with Christmas, and rightly so.
“The style of composing and its lightness, the catchy tunes are something that throughout the years become related to Christmas, a music that we all enjoy,” the maestro tells
Oliver and the HSO then travel back in time and back to the '
“Part of the Christmas season is also going from one year to a new one and when New Year celebration comes, everyone has fun and dances waiting for the New Year to arrive. This Polonaise is the opening number of the 3rd act of Tchaikovsky's opera Eugene Onegin, where the act starts with the big full stage ball dance. It is just beautiful and festive music that brings a bit of a Russian-European flavour to the concert.”
And the audience at Collier won’t be invited just to have these pieces wash over them. Oliver plans to get patrons involved by singing along… pieces like What Child Is This?, Ding Dong Merrily on High, and Silent Night that fill the church with sound.
“This year is special because we have two children choirs, Collier Children School Choir and Maestro Music Centre Children's Choir that are going to sing these carols. We are very excited about that. Of course, this (doesn’t involve) just singing with accompaniment but (feature) arrangements that bring the songs to a different level. It seems that audience enjoys and appreciates that new view of the carols.”
For those whose familiarity with Johann Strauss is limited to the Blue Danube, Oliver introduces the Pizzicato Polka.
“Sometimes it is part of the Viennese New Year concert and we are trying to bring that spirit to our audience. Usually any Johann Strauss father's or son's waltz, polka or march are something that is related to New Year’s celebration not to Christmas but since we don't have a concert on Jan. 1 it is a good opportunity to perform such a noble but upbeat classical music that makes people joyful.”
Prokofiev’s Trojka is also on the programme for this year, likewise the Mel Torme-penned Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire), Skater’s Waltz (Emile Waldteufel). There is also a multiple-movement piece from Italian composer Arcangelo Corelli entitled Concerto grosso in G minor Fatto per la notta di Natale (Made for the Night of Christmas), which should prove intriguing.
These pieces, incidentally, feature the small ensemble playing of concertmaster David McFadden and Valerie Selander Voisey on violin, and John Trembath, cello.
Frederick Delius’ piece Winter Night Sleigh Ride from Three Small Tone Poems, will also be featured.
With such a broad range of pieces to play, Balaburski is enthused about concerts such as these, which “not only celebrate Christmas but connect the old and new year and bring happiness to the audience. It is about a celebration in this time of year when we all what and need to relax, recuperate and get ready for new goals and results. I sincerely hope that Huronia Symphony Orchestra and both Children Choirs will bring joy to our audience.”
The HSO plays
