CAPE ANN SYMPHONY - HOLIDAY POPS
A Cape Ann Holiday Tradition
featuring
The Cape Ann Symphony Chorus
Led by Choral Director Brittany Betts
Performances:
Manchester & Ipswich
Saturday, November 30, 2024: 2:00 PM in Ipswich
Saturday, November 30, 2024: 7:30 PM in Manchester
Sunday, December 1 2024: 2:00 PM in Manchester
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The Cape Ann Symphony’s Annual Holiday Pops Concert, returns to kick off the holiday season on Saturday, November 30 at 2 pm at the Dolan Performing Arts Center at Ipswich High School on 134 High Street, Ipswich, MA; Saturday, November 30 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, December 1 at 2 pm at Manchester-Essex High School auditorium on 36 Lincoln Street in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA. For tickets and information about this Cape Ann Holiday tradition, call 978-281-0543 or visit www.capeannsymphony.org
This festive musical celebration led by CAS Conductor and Music Director Yoichi Udagawa features a program of holiday favorites for orchestra and chorus.. “The musicians of the orchestra and I love our Holiday Pops concert," says CAS Conductor and Music Director Yoichi Udagawa, "We have selected a wide range of music that celebrates the season, and we love sharing it with our wonderful audiences. The Cape Ann Symphony Chorus, now under the direction of Brittany Betts, will be joining us, and it’s always such a joy to collaborate with them. Come join us! We can hardly wait to see you!!”
The Cape Ann Symphony launched The Cape Ann Symphony Chorus under the directions of Wendy Betts at the 2005 Holiday Pops Concert. . The group has performed with the Cape Ann Symphony at Holiday Pops Concerts in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 2013, 2014. 2015, 2016. 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022. Holiday Pops 2024 marks the premiere of new Cape Ann Symphony Choral Director Brittany Betts. Brittany Betts took over leadership of the CAS Chorus this fall when her mother Wendy Betts retired as the longtime Choral Director for the CAS Chorus. " I am especially excited for everyone to hear the new iteration of the symphony chorus. " says Brittany Betts, "After a year off following the retirement of my mom, Wendy Betts, who led the chorus with great success for 16 years, it is a great joy and honor to be part of the rebuilding process. Each of the 32 singers had to audition to make the roster since we were creating a smaller chorus. So, voices had to be strong enough to hold their own and have the ability to blend well quickly. I believe we have achieved success. The singers hail from all over the North Shore - Rockport, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Beverly, Peabody, Ipswich and Georgetown. I am also pleased to have the incomparable pianist, Priscilla Walter, who was the chorus accompanist for many years, back at the piano. She is a gift of a collaborator. We are 8 weeks in now and we are sounding great. There is a lot of joyful (and super focused) camaraderie at our rehearsals. Everyone has been committed from day one to bringing light, beauty, love, joy and hope to our community through music. And there is that in spades throughout the whole program! We hope that the audience will leave feeling great - as if they were seen and held, loved and brought together through the music. You know, energized by the spirit of community at its finest. As the final line in the last piece states - "How great our joy!"
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The Holiday Pops 2024 concert program includes Anderson's Christmas Festival; Greensleeves, arranged by Reed; A Christmas Scherzo, arranged by Sebesky; Custer's Chanukah Festival; and Selections from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. The Cape Ann Symphony Chorus joins the orchestra to perform Christmas on Broadway, arranged by Higgins; Pinkzebra's Winter Lullaby; Holcomb's Festive Sounds of Hannukah 2nd Edition; Rutter's What Sweeter Music and Rejoice! How Great Our Joy, arranged by McElory. " CAS Choral Director Brittany Betts offers insight on the Chorus selections in the program ," The chorus will be presenting five beautiful and fun pieces to reflect the holiday and winter season - filled with traditional favorites and new to us pieces. You can expect to tap your feet to a medley of broadway Christmas tunes, and to feel cozy and reflective as the choir sings a tender lullaby about winter and time passing by. We will then honor our Jewish and Christian friends’ traditions with a medley of Hanukkah pieces, and a stunningly beautiful favorite of the classical choral realm - John Rutter’s What Sweeter Music. Finally, we will top it all off with a rousing gospel piece, Rejoice! How Great Our Joy which reflects the jubilance of the Christian Christmas tradition. You will want to stand and clap for sure (and we want you to do so)! Now, don’t worry, we will be inviting the audience to join their voices as one big choir on the sing-a-long as has been a long favored tradition at the Holiday Pops Concerts. So grab your ticket, do your vocal warm-ups and let’s celebrate the season TOGETHER!"
Brittany Betts brings with her a different approach to the choral world having primarily worked as a trumpeter, djembefola (someone who skillfully plays the djembe, a West African drum) collaborator, worship leader, jazz singer and composer. She performs with the David Whitney Orchestra, Riverside Renaissance Swing Band, Cantemus Chamber Chorus and the vocal trio, ONE. In 2023-2024, she served as Artist-in-Residence at First Church Congregational in Swampscott, composing sung liturgies and songs for their Advent and Lenten services. Ms. Betts traveled the country and abroad as a Glocal (local and global combined) Musician Educator and Worship Coordinator with the Global Mission Unit of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for 10 years. During that time she also served on the music staff of Visible Music College in Memphis, TN where she taught voice, music theory, rock bands, the World Music Ensemble and a guided improvisation class.
