Preparations could make all of the distinction.
The Houston Symphony’s annual Very Merry Pops live performance excels at this, usually unlocking hidden dimensions of or making use of a recent sheen to vacation fare many individuals have, with good cause, written off as stale.
Performed for the 18th time by former principal Pops conductor Michael Krajewski, this previous weekend’s live performance — which repeats Dec. 18-20 — was altogether extra subdued and reflective than in years previous, completely in step with the tenor of the occasions. Although it did have a spot or two of enjoyable.
Medleys are important to this kind of efficiency; in actual fact, splicing collectively a number of carols directly seems to be a wholesome yuletide cottage business. Model-new opener “Christmas Ornaments Overture” dispatched a dozen briefly order, with lustrous harmonies all through and shutting prospers harking back to a Salvation Military brass band.
Others appear engineered to focus on a selected instrument, or mixture thereof, per tune. Not lengthy after, “A Caroling We Go” featured trumpet and oboe carrying “Right here We Come a Caroling”; clarinet and harp illuminating “Convey a Torch, Jeanette Isabella”; and a wooden block strolling away with “Over the River and By way of the Woods.”
When: 8 p.m. Dec. 18; 2:30 and eight p.m. Dec. 19; 2:30 p.m. Dec. 20 (Dec. 19 livestreamed)
The place: Jones Corridor, 615 Louisiana
Particulars: $44-$84; livestream tickets $20; 713-224-7575; houstonsymphony.org
These numbers may also function refreshers for previous tunes which have fallen by the wayside: “Jolly Outdated Saint Nicholas” confirmed up twice. The Peanuts gang was accounted for with a tastefully organized suite that confirmed off the orchestra’s refined jazz chops, together with a roiling “Linus and Lucy” and wistful “Christmastime Is Right here.” Closing out the night was Leroy Anderson’s “A Christmas Pageant,” the gold customary of vacation pops medleys. When “Jingle Bells” surges into “Adeste Fideles” on the climax, it’s practically inconceivable to not get goosebumps.
Not every part was fairly so conventional, although: the three-man percussion part went to city throughout “Feliz Navidad,” conjuring a Yuletide in South Seashore, whereas a reverent however at occasions boisterous Hanukkah medley at one level veered dangerously near Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet” suite: vigorous and lurching.
The night’s featured vocalist was Chelsea Cymone, a Excessive College for the Performing and Visible Arts grad who has sung backup for Mya and Michelle Williams of Future’s Baby. Her buoyant, honeyed pop/R&B vocals elevated shopping-mall customary “It’s the Most Fantastic Time of the 12 months,” discovered a sinewy groove in Victor Herbert’s “Toyland” and had been particularly well-suited for the luxurious “Have Your self a Merry Little Christmas.” In case you don’t have Apple TV+ but, tune into this coming weekend’s encore live shows (or the livestream) to really feel higher about lacking the brand new Mariah Carey Christmas particular.
Though nothing approached the zaniness of final yr’s “whip” routine throughout “Sleigh Experience,” Krajewski managed to slide in a couple of mildly off-color jokes, like explaining {that a} piccolo trumpet is “what occurs once you depart a piccolo and a trumpet mendacity round backstage unattended for some time.” (Kudos to Mark Hughes for the bubbling solo activate mentioned piccolo trumpet throughout “Ding, Dong Merrily on Excessive.”)
A Skyped-in Santa Claus was solely too completely happy to get into into the spirit, ribbing Krajewski about varied ill-fated devices he’s gifted the conductor by way of the years earlier than noting the reversal in fortune as soon as he gave him a “stick.” (Like the remainder of us, Mr. Kringle is method over this yr, remarking “good riddance to 2020, am I proper?”)
Two numbers particularly stood out for delving previous the standard vacation cheer. Oboist Anne Leek stood tall throughout a darkly haunting “What Baby Is This?”, twinkling harp and distant bells underscoring the centuries-old melody. And performing concertmaster Eric Halen (Yoonshin Tune had the night time off) turned in a completely attractive model of “O Holy Night time,” bolstered by faint, fireside-warm strings.
A curious irony of Very Merry Pops is that, for all of the merry and shiny tunes on show, its most affecting moments usually come through the live performance’s most mysterious numbers. You may nearly name it a Christmas miracle.
Chris Grey is a Galveston-based author.
