Pops Program Notes - Yuletide Celebration, December 5 and 6, 2008

Pops Program Notes - Yuletide Celebration, December 5 and 6, 2008

Yuletide Celebration
Friday, December 5, 2008 - 8 pm
Saturday, December 6, 2008 - 8 pm

Robert Bernhardt, conductor
Mireille Lebel, mezzo-soprano
Greenwood Singers
University of Alberta Faculty of Education Handbell Ringers

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Program

TRADITIONAL
Deck the Halls (3’)*

ANDERSON
Sleigh Ride (3’)*

RUTTER
What Sweeter Music (4’)*

BIZET
L’Arlésienne Suite No. 2: Farandole (3’)*

ADAM
O Holy Night (4')*
(Arr Carmen Dragon)

TRADITIONAL / DIX
What Child is This? (3')*
(Arr Claude Lapalme)

RICHMAN
Hanukkah Festival Overture (6’)*

BASS
Gloria (6’)*

INTERMISSION

TRADITIONAL
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (3')*
(Arr Ron Goldstein)

CYNTHIA DOBRINSKI
Christmas Procession (3’)*

VARIOUS
Hark! Christmas Bells (3’)*
(Arr John A Behnke)

TRADITIONAL / PROKOFIEV
Go Tell It On the Mountain / Troika (4’)*
(Arr Linda McKechnie)

HANDEL
Messiah, HWV56: Hallelujah Chorus (4')*

TORMÉ / WELLS
The Christmas Song (4’)*
(Arr Lapalme)

SILVER
The Twelve Days After Christmas (4')*
(Arr Newt Wayland)

TCHAIKOVSKY
The Nutcracker, Opus 71:  Waltz of the Flowers (7’)*

TRADITIONAL
We Wish You a Merry Christmas (1’)*

*Indicates approximate performance duration

Robert Bernhardt is the second Music Director in the history of the combined Chattanooga Symphony & Opera, and is currently in his 15th season with the company. Concurrent with his CSO tenure, Bernhardt holds the additional title of Principal Pops Conductor of the Louisville Orchestra where he is currently in his 27th season. He began his professional career there in 1981 as Assistant Conductor, and has worked with the Orchestra every year since. He was the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic (1995-98), Music Director and Conductor of the Tucson Symphony (1987-95), Principal Guest Conductor of Kentucky Opera (1991-96), and Music Director of the Amarillo Symphony Orchestra (1985-1987). His vast symphonic repertoire covers most of the standard canon and his commitment to the music of our time is significant.

He has guest conducted the Detroit, St. Louis, Seattle, Phoenix, Nashville, Colorado, Pacific and Iceland Symphony Orchestras among others, and has been a frequent guest with the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Tucson Symphony, and the Boston Pops.He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1978. In addition to his work with the CSO, he has conducted the Opera Companies of Nashville and Birmingham. He has also conducted the Louisville Ballet, the North Carolina Ballet, the Jacksonville Ballet and the Lonestar Ballet. Born in Rochester, NY, Robert Bernhardt holds a Master's Degree with Honors from the University of Southern California School of Music where he studied with Daniel Lewis. He was a Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of Union (NY) College, where he was an Academic All-American Baseball Player.