If you haven’t already, make this annual holiday event a family tradition. This year’s concert features our Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Choir joined by the chorus from Great Falls College MSU. Altogether, more than 250 musicians will create a wall of magnificent sound.

Johann Sebastian Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 is one of six concertos presented as a gift to a nobleman in hopes of being offered a court position. Bach didn’t get the job, and the manuscripts were stored away until they were finally rediscovered and published in 1849, nearly 130 years after their composition. In the Baroque era, a “concerto” wasn’t necessarily a virtuoso solo showpiece.

No. 3 features nine solo strings in three familial groupings with bass and harpsichord accompaniment. The Brandenburg concerti are considered the most perfect examples of the Baroque genre, showcasing Bach’s gifts for variety and instrumental coloration.

Another Baroque favorite is the Gloria by Antonio Vivaldi. It is a master class in choral writing, and the composer and great instrumentalist showcased his gifted musicians with tender, lovely countermelodies played by violin and oboe. The sacred work ranges from festive brilliance and lilting soprano solos to profound sadness with solemn choral singing. The overall spirit is celebratory and uplifting: ”Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace to men of good will.“

A holiday concert wouldn’t be complete without a potpourri of popular music. Sleigh Ride is one of the most recorded and played holiday songs of all time, even though it doesn’t even mention Christmas in its lyrics. The piece was originally written for orchestra in 1948 and was first recorded by the Boston Pops. Lyrics were added two years later. Listen for orchestral effects imitating the sounds of a horse clip-clopping and a whip to encourage the horses. In most performances, a percussionist provides these sounds on temple blocks and a slapstick, respectively. Toward the end of the piece, a trumpet mimics the sound of a horse whinnying.

Dave Snuggs won the opportunity to be our guest conductor on our orchestral version.

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