Holiday Pops brings excitement of season to Gaillard

The holiday spirit filled the Gaillard Auditorium Saturday night with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra Holiday Pops.

With the addition of the St. John the Baptist Cathedral Girls' Chorus, the Charleston Children's Chorus, and the Rollings Middle School of the Arts Star Ringers joining the CSO Chorus and Orchestra, the stage was filled with the joy of the holidays and the excitement that the best of that spirit can bring.

Scott Terrell conducted a series of beautifully arranged holiday favorites beginning with Jim Beckel's "Christmas Fanfare," reminiscent of Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man."

The virtuoso performance by the Star Ringers stood out early. The Girls' Chorus brilliantly performed some of the most challenging music of the evening and the Children's Chorus performed everything from memory alongside the adults and professionals gathered on the stage to move us closer to the holiday spirit.

With the "Dance of the Brass Pipes & Latin Dance" from Nutcracker Suite Dreams arranged by William Berry, the CSO Brass provided just the right touch of satire to the familiar without being irreverent. The audience participation in Christmas carols drew the full house into the spirit of the music-making in the hall.

The newly enhanced sound system in the Gaillard provided the right balance for the evening and was a welcome answer to an acoustic challenge the CSO has had for many years.