The South Jersey Pops will be performing old and new holiday standards and other popular tunes at Lenape High School on Dec. 12 and at Marlton United Methodist Church on Dec. 14. Those nights, Emma Gibbins, an elementary school music teacher in Waterford and an oboist in the orchestra, and Rachel Smith, an elementary school music teacher in Medford and flutist in the group, will each take the baton for portions of the concert.
Robert Schiavinato, the orchestra’s conductor who has mentored them, says this marks the next step in the development of both longtime musicians.
“They have pinch hit, conducting large portions of our season-opening Broadway Concert in my absence and doing so phenomenally, but this is our biggest event of the year, in front of what likely will be our biggest audience, so it’s going to be an exciting couple of evenings for Emma and Rachel,” Schiavinato says. “Rachel will be leading the flute ensemble, and Emma will lead the bass choir.”
Also marking her second concert with the orchestra and holiday concert debut is Bridget Kasinskas, the Pops’ new concertmaster. Kasinskas, who was a string teacher and conductor in the Cherry Hill School District for 28 years, also serves as assistant concertmaster of the Philharmonic of Southern New Jersey and has been a frequent soloist with that ensemble.
Featured selections in the Holiday Spectacular include “The Christmas Song,” “Carol of the Drum,” Trans Siberian Orchestra’s “Mad Russian’s Christmas,” featuring Rob Bradshaw on electric violin, and Leroy Anderson’s “Christmas Festival,” popularized by the Boston Pops under Arthur Fielder.
Holiday Spectacular will be performed at Lenape High School, 235 Hartford Road, Medford, on Dec. 12, and at Marlton United Methodist Church, 2 Marlborough Road, Marlton, on Dec. 14.
Both performances begin at 7 p.m.; doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door or online at www.southjerseypops.org. Children under 13 are free.
Founded in 1969 as the Burlington County Pops, the 60-member South Jersey Pops Orchestra is an all-volunteer community ensemble that presents several concerts annually. The orchestra provides musicians of all ages an opportunity to express themselves musically in a friendly environment and provides its audiences an opportunity to enjoy live music close to home at moderate cost.
