Faster and Faster

The Christmas season has us in its embrace! You may have noticed in your travels some people moving so fast that they are just blurs, with musical instruments in tow. There is a plethora-and-a-half of additional work for musicians this time of year. Some of it is contracted as early as July! I believe the record for one day is SIX engagements, although there are still lessons to teach and families to feed. Our schedules are finally sculpted masterpieces of precision that only the most lethal weather can alter. A time allowance is always made, however, for visiting the receptions at these gigs. Let me tell you, there are some great cooks out there! Sausage balls, pfeffernüsse, Christmas bark, the list goes on and on. Savvy giggers bring empty leftover containers, and in the true spirit of the season, the locals encourage us to fill them! The amazing array of refreshments help us shun the Burger King drive-through, in addition to atoning for the occasional underprepared choir, cheesy arrangements or clueless choir director.

The KSO's focus this time of year is to bring classy, classic holiday tunes on a large scale. The annual Clayton Holiday Concerts have set a high standard in our community for quality seasonal music. This year, the 31st in the run, is no exception, with the theme of the concerts being Music from the Movies. A “heavenly host” of ensembles will join the KSO, including the Knoxville Choral Society, the Knoxville Handbell Festival Ringers, Go! Contemporary Danceworks and the Farragut High School Ensemble. A certain circumpolar resident will also bring his extensive, high-spirited retinue to the stage. These concerts will be presented at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium at 7:30 pm on December 15 and 16, and at 3:00 on December 16 and 17.  Tickets here.

The immediate focus of the orchestra is our continuing collaboration with the Appalachian Ballet Company's production of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker this Friday at 7:30 and Saturday at 3:00 at the Clayton Center for the Arts on the campus of Maryville College. A story that never gets old, this marks the ABC's 46th annual production of the ballet, accompanied by the KSO for the last 44 years. This is an amazing, durable partnership, the like of which is seldom seen in markets our size. Often when a recording of the Nutcracker Suite is heard, the tempi are so quick that you have to ask yourself how anyone could dance to something that fast. Still, I have noticed that the tempi in many of the faster dances have been bumped up; this can be seen as a subtle tribute to the steadily growing quality of the dance troop.

Hope to see you there!