PHILADELPHIA YOUTH ORCHESTRA ENSEMBLES
BRAVO BRASS AND PHILADELPHIA YOUNG ARTISTS ORCHESTRA
PERFORM HOLIDAY MUSIC THROUGHOUT THE REGION

The talented young musicians associated with PYO Music Institute (PYO) will be performing a variety of holiday music to deck the halls and inspire concertgoers with the Christmas spirit.  Collaborating with two highly accomplished youth choruses, the Bravo Brass ensemble of PYO and Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra (PYAO) members will be performing throughout the region. The PYAO performance is highlighted by a special appearance by 6abc’s Action News anchor Rick Williams who will narrate ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas at their concert on December 21 at 3 p.m. at the Upper Darby Performing Arts Center.

Here is a listing of the Bravo Brass and PYAO concerts:

On Tuesday, December 16, 2014 at 7:30 p.m., Bravo Brass along with the Strath Haven High School (SHHS) Chorus will present “A Holiday Celebration.” It will take place at Strath Haven High School, 205 S. Providence Road, Wallingford, PA. Bravo Brass will join the SHHS Chorus to perform Daniel Pinkham’s Christmas Cantata and John Rutter’s Gloria as part of the SHHS choral and orchestra concert.

On Saturday, December 20, 2014 at 7:30 p.m., Bravo Brass will perform in Center City Philadelphia at Saint Mark’s Church, 1625 Locust Street. The concert will again feature the Pinkham and Rutter compositions as well as works of Richard Strauss and Darin Kelly and will conclude with a festive audience sing-along.

During both performances, the musicians and vocalists will perform under the direction of Bravo Brass Conductor Paul Bryan and SHHS Chorus Conductor John Shankweiler. Admission to the December 16 Bravo Brass concerts is free.  Tickets are $15 general admission to the December 20 Bravo Brass concert and are available at the door.  For information, call PYO Music Institute at 215.545.0502.

On Sunday, December 21, 2014, at 3 p.m., PYAO will have the unique opportunity of collaborating with Upper Darby High School’s Concert Choir and Encore Singers as they celebrate the holiday season. Conducted by PYAO music director, Maestro Rosalind Erwin, it will take place at the Upper Darby Performing Arts Center, located at 601 N. Lansdowne Avenue, Drexel Hill, PA. It is at this concert that 6abc Action News anchor Rick Williams will make a special guest appearance to narrate the well-known children’s story Twas the Night Before Christmas set to music. The musical lineup for this concert includes Corelli’s Concerto Grosso, Op. 6, No. 8 – “Christmas Concerto,” which was published in 1714, excerpts from Handel’s Messiah, composed based on the scriptures from King James Bible and Psalms from The Book of Common Prayer, excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s cherished Nutcracker Ballet Suite, and Bass’ Christmas Flourish, an arrangement of famous Christmas carols.  Tickets are available for $10/general admission; $5/student (ages 7–17) and seniors, and can be purchased at the door.