The CSO's Holiday Pops to Return with New Works for 2014

For the CSO's 2014 Holiday Pops, chorus master and conductor Ronald Jenkins, who conceived the program in 1983 and has since conducted all 93 performances, has selected a program of seasonal favorites infused with seven all-new pieces to be performed by more than 250 musicians, vocalists, and dancers. Jenkins and the musicians of the CSO will be joined by the Columbus Symphony Chorus, Columbus Children's Choir, dancers Justin Gibbs and Joanie Evans, children from BalletMet, narrator Steven Crawford, and of course, Mr. and Mrs. Claus for a heartwarming holiday spectacular and beloved annual Columbus tradition.

The Columbus Symphony presents Holiday Pops at the Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.) on Friday, December 5, at 8pm; Saturday, December 6, at 8pm; and Sunday, December 7, at 3pm. Tickets are $25-$68 and can be purchased at the CAPA Ticket Center (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.ticketmaster.com. To purchase tickets by phone, please call (614) 228-8600 or (800) 745-3000.

The 2014 Holiday Pops concerts will open with the traditional "Holiday Pops Overture," originally commissioned specifically for these concerts in 2000. This will be followed up with "For Unto Us a Child is Born" from Handel's Messiah and a group of three works from San Francisco composer Stephen Main, including "Wolcum Yole!" and an east-of-the-Mississippi premiere of "Blessed Be That Maid Mary."

Justin Gibbs and Joanie Evans, dancers from Wright State University, will add the elegance of dance to Main's "Fantasy on an Appalachian Carol," followed by a new Chanukah piece entitled "Light One Candle," written by Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul, and Mary fame, and a Wilberg arrangement of "Angels We Have Heard on High."

The Columbus Children's Choir will join the Columbus Symphony Chorus for the second half of the program, performing John Rutter's "Shepherd's Pipe Carol" and Craig Courtney's "Lullabies for the Christ Child."

Holiday Pops will continue the tradition of holding a drawing for a young person to come forward and conduct the orchestra in Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride," always an audience favorite.

Audiences will also hear arrangements of three new pop numbers including "I'll Be Home for Christmas," "It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas," and Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas" which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2014.

Narrator and chorus member Steven Crawford will be joined by children from BalletMet for a re-enactment of "The Night Before Christmas" supported by the colorful orchestration of Randol Bass.

Santa and Mrs. Claus will make their 31st appearance as part of the annual Holiday Pops celebration, closing out the evening in grand holiday style.

Attendees can also get in on the holiday spirit by joining the CSO in supporting the 36th annual NBC4 Firefighters for Kids Toy Drive, a partnership of the Columbus Division of Fire and NBC4 (WCMH-TV). Each person that brings a new, unwrapped toy to any of the Holiday Pops concerts will receive a voucher for one free ticket to a 2015 Picnic with the Pops performance.

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