The University of Mary Washington’s Philharmonic will host its annual Holiday Pops Concert, “Songs of the Season,” on Thursday Dec. 3, and Friday, Dec. 4.
Both concerts will take place at 7:30 p.m. in Dodd Auditorium, located in George Washington Hall on the Fredericksburg campus. Tickets are $10 per person, and admission is free to children under 8 years old.
Featuring heartwarming selections, the concert will include the original autograph version of “Silent Night,” as well as the symphonic version of “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and traditional audience sing-alongs.
In addition to several guest performers, the orchestra will feature the combined UMW performing Vivaldi’s “Gloria” and Robert Shaw’s “The Many Moods of Christmas.”
The Philharmonic also will feature guest vocalist Patrick A’hearn, the producing artistic director at the Riverside Center Theater. A’hearn was a member of the original cast of Les Miserables, and has performed on Broadway in such shows as Chicago and Phantom of the Opera.
Past holiday concerts have featured some of Philharmonic’s best efforts, including last year’s “Home for the Holidays,” a Polar Express segment that had a train rolling through the auditorium, and “A Fiddler’s Holiday” in 2011 that became a national PBS pledge show.
On Wednesday Dec. 2, the Philharmonic’s annual Fiddlestix Instrument Petting Zoo will take place at 6:30 p.m. in Dodd Auditorium. The musicians will demonstrate each instrument for the kids, who will also have a chance to play the instruments. This year’s program will include games, a brief concert and gingerbread men. A reservation is not required.
For more information or to purchase tickets for the Holiday Pops Concert, visit http://www.umwphilharmonic.com/ or call 540-654-1324.