The Cleveland Orchestra Christmas Concerts @ Severance Hall 12/20/09

While it's nice to see that so many families have embraced the Cleveland Orchestra's annual series of Christmas Concerts as a holiday staple, our suggestion is to get your tickets early. Every seat was filled, and everyone was there to have a good time. Severance Hall always looks best when filled to the brim.

Under a massive display of ornaments and the base of a Christmas tree suspended from the proscenium, brilliant pink & blue lights were projected against the shimmering bandshell on the Severance stage. Far from distracting, these subtly changing effects kept the proceedings lively.

Not that you needed anything to keep you awake with the full Cleveland Orchestra, plus the 100+ members of the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, the Cleveland Orchestra Children's Chorus, the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Chorus and the Cleveland State University Chorale. They must have used a computer program to figure out how to fit everyone on the stage at one time.

With the understated Robert Porco on the podium (see recent Cool Cleveland interview here), it felt like the Rolls-Royce was being taken out for a drive gussied up with garland. His friendly and informative chatter helped to introduce the program and set up the inevitable audience sing-alongs.

The concert blasted off with a scintillating arrangement of O, Come All Ye Faithful, with all choruses and Orchestra at top volume, proving that the Rock and Roll Capitol can lift you out of your seat with more than just an electric guitar. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen was taken at a thrilling tempo, and Carol of the Bells blew everyone away with the Choruses ringing hand bells in a syncopated rhythm. Showcasing the unbelievable dynamic range of The Cleveland Orchestra on The Nutcracker, the concert blended transcendent touches with electric excitement.

It wouldn't be Christmas without a visit from Santa, and it wouldn't be a TCO Christmas Concert without the audience singing "Five Gold Rings!" during The Twelve Days of Christmas, for which at least three audience groups had obviously rehearsed. Soon you'll have to audition to get a slot in the audience participation. Multiple encores left the audience sated, and a sublime Silent Night pierced the hearts of all present.

This was a rambunctious romp through some of the coolest and funnest X-mas music of all time with lively arrangements and spirited performances. The guy behind us was obviously pleased with not only the Orchestra, but with the Browns' win that day, as his whistling proved. With lots of refreshing young voices in the Choruses, one felt good about the future of classical music, The Cleveland Orchestra and the region. Am I reading too much into this concert? I hope you didn't miss it!

Cleveland Orchestra concerts continue 1/7 and 1/9/10 with Jaap van Zweden conducting violinist William Preucil in the Neikrug Violin Concerto with Wagenaar's Cyrano de Bergerac Overture and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4. On Fri 1/8 is a reprise of the successful Fridays@7, which is the same program, less the Neikrug. On 1/14, 1/15 & 1/16, Franz Welser-Moest conducts The Cleveland Orchestra in R. Strauss' Don Juan, and Brahms' Symphony No. 2, with violinist Leila Josefowicz on Ades' Violin Concerto: Concentric Paths. http://www.ClevelandOrchestra.com

Review and photo by Thomas Mulready, the creator of CoolCleveland.com.