JSO plans festive concert to begin holiday season

Continuing a holiday tradition, the Jackson Symphony Orchestra will present a Holiday Pops Concert and Sing-a-long at 4 p.m. Dec. 5 at the First Church of the Nazarene, 3905 Clinton Road, Jackson.

The Jackson Chorale, Children’s Choir and First United Methodist Church Chancel Choir will join the orchestra to present seasonal favorites and that will inspire young and old with the spirit of the season. The audience will be encouraged to join in on popular songs such Christmas Song, It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, Joy to the World, Deck the Halls and O Come all Ye Faithful.

“The orchestra looks forward to continuing this annual observance in a new venue with a new audience," said JSO Music Director Stephen Osmond. “The selections, as well as the audience participation, are designed to put everyone into the holiday spirit.”

“The Chorale will sing a Christmas bells medley of Ding Dong Merrily on High and Carol of Bells as well as a beautiful arrangement of Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” said Wendy Treacher, Music Director. “The Chorale also will present the King’s Singers / Mormon Tabernacle Choir arrangement of the the Twelve Days of Christmas.”

The Children’s Choir will join the Chorale and Orchestra for a new version of The Little Drummer Boy. Ask the Moon and Hanerot Halalu, a song about the lights of Hanukkah, are the other songs the Children’s Choir will perform.

“The symphony orchestra’s holiday concert is the high point of the holiday season for the Children’s Choir,” said Director Jackie Livesay. “Singers and families are looking forward to it.” About 32 children in grades 4-8 will participate.

The First United Methodist Church Chancel Choir plans to sing Christmas Is Coming, Rejoice, and The First Noel.

Baker College and County National Bank are sponsoring the concert.

Tickets are $10 for children and students with identification. Adult tickets are $15.

They may be purchased online at http://www.jacksonsymphony.org/; by phone at 517-782-3221; or in person at the JSO Box Office, 215 W. Michigan Ave., downtown Jackson.

NOTE: The Jackson Symphony Orchestra is a community resource providing performances of the classics and popular music, a community music school with private and group instruction and numerous educational programs for students of all ages. The organization owns a 30,000-square-foot facility in the heart of downtown Jackson which not only serves as an administrative, rehearsal, and recital performance space for the orchestra but also is home to the Jackson Youth Symphony, the Jackson Chorale and Children's Choir, the Michigan Shakespeare Festival and JSO Community String Ensemble. The orchestra primarily performs at the world-class Music Hall of the Jackson Community College Potter Center and other venues in town including several churches, the County Fairgrounds and Michigan Theatre.