Monday, December 12, 2011

Clayton Concerts' 25th Anniversary

This year’s Clayton Holiday concerts are the 25th annual ones. The silver anniversary version, if you will. It seems there are more features to this year’s shows, given the momentousness of the occasion. Jim Clayton has been such a gracious benefactor for lo these many years, but this year he will have a somewhat different additional role, one that may surprise many. Hallerin Hill, the Sound Company children’s show choirs, Go Contemporary Dance Works and the fabulous Logan Murrell will join Clayton regulars the Knoxville Choral Society– as the song says, “a show with everything but Yul Brynner.”

The Clayton concerts are a perennially festive event for those in the orchestra, a chance to exchange gifts, cards, cookies and hugs. In previous years there have been wild dress code variations, sometimes involving reindeer antlers, electric earrings and bow and scroll tinsel. Santa and his elves always make an appearance.

Along with the usual wide variety of holiday music, a featured work on this program will be the Finale & Hope from the Symphony of Hope: The Haiti Project. This work is a collaborative effort among some 25 composers to bring attention to and help raise funds to rebuild Haiti after the devastating earthquake that struck on January 12, 2010. This is symbolic of the rebuilding efforts in that afflicted nation; to wit, many hands make light work. Our own Lucas Richman is not one of the composers, but his talents are evident on the recording that was conducted by him and released this past September.

We’ll be looking for you Dec. 16 & 17 at 7:30 (note earlier start time), with matinees on the 17th and 18th at 3:00 at the Civic Auditorium.

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