By GARY DEMUTH
The Salina Symphony had a Blue Christmas last year.
The orchestra’s annual Christmas Festival, a decades-long community tradition, had to be cancelled in 2020 because of restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, the festival is back, and Salina Symphony executive director Adrienne Allen promises the show will be a memorable holiday treat for the whole family.
“We are thrilled to be able to bring the Christmas Festival back to the community after not being able to perform it in 2020,” she said.
This year’s festival, she said, will “present a beautiful variety of uplifting music, from classical pieces to traditional Christmas carols to upbeat, festive songs of the season.”
The Salina Symphony Christmas Festival will be at 7 p.m. Dec. 11 and 4 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts, 151 S. Santa Fe.
Scheduled to perform with the Salina Symphony will be local dancers from the Iron Street Dance Company of Salina Community Theatre and the Tamara Howe School of Dance, along with the Kansas Wesleyan University Chorale and Salina Youth Choir.
A community chorus, organized by Salinan Bill Tuzicka, also will perform.
And of course, audience members will be treated to a special appearance by Santa Claus himself.
Allen said she is grateful and privileged to be able to partner with other local organizations to put on such a huge and complex show for the community.
“There is something almost magical that happens when nearly 200 musicians, singers and dancers come together to perform,” she said.
The festival program will include selections from the “Karelia Suite” by Sibelius and “Hansel and Gretel” by Humperdinck, performed by the Salina Symphony under the baton of interim conductor and music director David Littrell.
The community chorus will perform John Rutter’s “Candlelight Carol,” Leroy Anderson’s “A Christmas Festival” and the traditional ballad “Mary, Did You Know?”
Selections by the KWU Chorale will include “Everywhere Christmas Tonight” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” The Salina Youth Choir will sing “Winter Lullaby” and “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.”
Something special
The Iron Street Dance Company will dance to “Wizards in Winter” and “Silver Bells,” and the Tamara Howe School of Dance will perform selections from “Swan Lake” and the traditional “Greensleeves.”
Megan Coberly, education director at Salina Community Theatre, said the Christmas Festival always is a special occasion each year “because many different groups from the community are able to create something truly special together.”
“The Christmas Festival brings together two different art forms, dance and music, and creates a beautifully woven product,” she said. “We rehearse with recordings while we learn the dances, but it is when we get into tech week and get to dance with the orchestra playing behind us that the magic really begins.”
Coberly said it is great for the dancers to be exposed to live orchestral music, and for the orchestra to watch such a variety of dance choreography.
“Everyone gets to learn,” she said.
The two dance companies will combine for a rendition of “We Need a Little Christmas.” Coberly said collaborating for the Christmas Festival is a wonderful experience for both dance ensembles.
“I always love watching the Iron Street Dance Company perform with Tamara Howe’s dancers,” she said. “We always make sure to collaborate on one piece. This year, it is a kicking routine that will make everyone feel the spirit of Christmas!”
Family holiday tradition
The festival will conclude with the Salina Symphony, choirs and dancers combining to perform Michael W. Smith and Wayne Kirkpatrick’s “All is Well” and the rousing carol “Sleigh Ride.”
Allen said she feels privileged the Salina Symphony’s Christmas Festival has become a part of many families’ holiday tradition.
“The Christmas Festival is our gift to the community,” she said. “We always look forward to celebrating the meaningful season with our patrons, and even more so this year.”
Tickets for the festival may be purchased at the Stiefel Theatre box office by calling 827-1998 or online at the Salina Symphony website at www.salinasymphony.org. Single admission tickets are $29 and $39 for adults and $19 for students/children.
Please visit the Salina Symphony website for information about the Stiefel Theatre’s COVID-19 policies.