Amy Mahoney, Tacoma Youth Chorus on bill for Sounds of the Season

Sounds of the Season—Tacoma Symphony Orchestra’s annual collage of seasonal delights—is back on December 7 and 8, led by Music Director Harvey Felder and featuring the Tacoma Youth Chorus.  Joining them will be soprano Amy Mahoney, whom Broadway World called “radiant” and “a name I’ll be watching out for in the future.” The varied program will include carols, popular holiday melodies, symphonic and choral works, featuring an ever-shifting combination of soloist, chorus and orchestra. The mighty TSO performs throughout—and the audience can expect to get in the act for the popular sing-along carol medley!

New this year, Sounds of the Season will be held in the wonderful, warm acoustic environment of the Rialto Theater in two performances:  7:30 p.m. Saturday, December 7 and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, December 8.  The program is designed to be varied, fun and uplifting, and suitable for all ages, from young children to their parents and grandparents.  For tickets, $19 to $65, click here or call 594-5894 or 800-291-7593.  Columbia Bank is the lead sponsor, with additional sponsorships from Aetna, The News Tribune, and Stadium Thriftway. 

The program will include beloved favorites like “The First Noel,” “We Need A Little Christmas,” “Let it Snow,” “The Wassail Song,” “and “My Favorite Things,” among others.  Choral highlights will include John Rutter’s Donkey Carol and César Franck’s Panis Anjelicus, arranged by Bo Ayars.  Winning bidders from the TSO’s annual auction dinner will try their hand at conducting in Leroy Anderson’sSleigh Ride.  The orchestra will also be featured in Camp Kirkland’s Overture of Joy, Anderson’s Christmas Festival Overture, and James Stephenson’s Holiday Overture.

A Tacoma native, New York-based soprano Amy Mahoney is a regional audience favorite and frequent guest of the TSO.  She was recently featured in worldwide television broadcasts in The Birth of Christ, an oratorio filmed at Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, narrated by Liam Neeson.  Her New York debut was in an off-Broadway production of Kern’s Oh, Lady! Lady!   She was seen on Live From Lincoln Center performing with the New York Philharmonic in Camelot.  Her lengthy run as La Diva in Seattle’s Teatro ZinZanni earned her rave reviews.